< Ehekiera 1 >

1 Na i te toru tekau o nga tau, i te wha o nga marama, i te rima o nga ra o te marama, i ahau i roto i nga whakarau o te awa, o Kepara, na ka puare nga rangi, a ka kite ahau i nga putanga Atua.
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.
2 I te rima o nga ra o te marama, ara i te rima o nga tau o to Kingi Iehoiakini whakaraunga,
(On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
3 Ka haere tika tonu mai te kupu a Ihowa ki a Ehekiera tohunga, tama a Puti, i te whenua o nga Karari, i te taha o te awa, o Kepara; a i runga te ringa o Ihowa i a ia i reira.
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.)
4 A ka titiro atu ahau, na, he tukauati e puta mai ana i te raki, he kapua nui, he ahi e hoki iho ana ki roto ki a ia ano, wheriko tonu i tetahi taha, a i waenganui, i rite ki te kara o te amipere, i waenganui ano i te ahi.
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
5 Na ka puta mai i waenganui o taua ahi ko te ahua o nga mea ora e wha. Ko to ratou ahua ano tenei; i rite ratou ki te tangata.
and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
6 Na e wha nga mata o tetahi, o tetahi o ratou, e wha nga parirau o tetahi, o tetahi.
but they each had four faces and four wings.
7 Ko o ratou waewae, he waewae tika tonu; ko te kapu ano o o ratou waewae rite tonu ki te kapu o te waewae o te kuao kua: wheriko tonu, rite tonu ki te kanapatanga o te parahi kua oti te oro.
They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
8 He ringa tangata ano o ratou i raro i o ratou parirau, i o ratou taha e wha: na, ko ratou tokowha, ko o ratou mata, ko o ratou parirau, koia tenei;
They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
9 He mea hono o ratou parirau tetahi ki tetahi; kihai ratou i tahuri i a ratou e haere ana; i haere tika tonu atu tetahi, tetahi.
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.
10 Na, ko te ahua o o ratou mata, he mata tangata o ratou; he mata raiona o ratou tokowha i te taha ki matua; he mata kau o ratou tokowha i te taha ki maui; he mata ekara ano o ratou tokowha.
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.
11 Na, ko o ratou mata, ko o ratou parirau he mea wehe a runga: ko o te mea kotahi e rua nga parirau e piri ana tetahi ki tetahi, e rua hei hipoki mo o ratou tinana.
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.
12 I haere tika tonu atu hoki ratou tetahi, tetahi: ko te wahi hei haerenga atu mo te wairua, haere ana ratou ki reira: kihai ratou i tahuri i a ratou e haere ana.
Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
13 Na, ko te rite o aua mea ora, ko to ratou ahua, koia ano kei te ngarahu ahi i te mea e ka ana, kei te ahua ano o te rama: i haereere taua ahi i roto i aua mea ora, mura tonu, i puta mai ano he uira i roto i te ahi.
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.
14 Na ko te oma, ko te hokinga o aua mea ora, rite tonu te ahua ki to te hikonga uira.
The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
15 Na i taku tirohanga ki nga mea ora, nana, ko tetahi wira i runga i te whenua, i te taha o nga mea ora, kotahi mo te mea kotahi o ona mata e wha.
As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
16 Ko te ahua o nga wira, me to ratou mahinga, rite tonu te kara ki to te perira: rite tonu aua wira e wha; ko to ratou ahua, ko to ratou mahinga, me te mea he wira i roto i te wira.
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.
17 I to ratou haerenga i haere i runga i o ratou taha e wha; kihai i tahuri i a ratou e haere ana.
They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
18 Na, ko o ratou awhi, tiketike rawa, he hanga whakawehi, kapi tonu ano i te kanohi o ratou awhi i tetahi taha, i tetahi taha, o ratou e wha.
The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
19 Na i te haerenga o nga mea ora i haere ano nga wira i to ratou taha; a ka ara nga mea ora i runga i te whenua, ka ara ano nga wira.
As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
20 Ko te wahi hei haerenga atu mo te wairua, i haere ratou ki reira; ko reira hei haerenga mo te wairua; i ara ano nga wira ki runga i to ratou ritenga atu: no te mea i roto i nga wira te wairua o te mea ora.
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.
21 I haere era, ka haere enei; i tu era, ka tu enei; a ka ara ake era i runga i te whenua, ka ara ano nga wira i to ratou ritenga atu; no te mea kei roto te wairua o te mea ora i nga wira.
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.
22 Na i runga ake i te mahunga o te mea ora ko te ahua o te kikorangi, rite tonu te kara ki to te karaihe e wehingia ana, he mea hora atu i runga i o ratou mahunga i te taha ki runga.
Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
23 Na, i raro i te kikorangi, ko o ratou parirau, torotika tonu, anga tonu mai tetahi ki tetahi: o te mea kotahi e rua hei hipoki i tetahi taha, o te mea kotahi ano e rua hei hipoki i tera taha o o ratou tinana.
Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.
24 A i a ratou e haere ana, i rongo ahau i te haruru o o ratou parirau me te mea ko te haruru o nga wai maha, me te mea ano ko te reo o te Kaha Rawa, he reo e turituri ana, ano he nge no tetahi ope: i nga wa i tu ai ratou i tukua iho o ratou parira u.
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.
25 I puta iho ano he reo i te kikorangi i runga i o ratou mahunga; i te mea ka tu ratou, ka tukua iho o ratou parirau.
A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
26 Na, i runga i te kikorangi i runga ake i o ratou mahunga ko te ahua o tetahi torona, he mea rite ki te kohatu hapaira: a i runga i te ahua o te torona ko tetahi ahua e rite ana ki to te tangata i runga i taua torona, i te taha ki runga.
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.
27 I kite atu ano ahau me te mea no te amipere te kara, he mea rite ki te ahua o te ahi i roto a taka noa, taka noa, i te ahua o tona hope, a haere whakarunga, i te ahua ano o tona hope, a haere whakararo, i kite atu ahau me te mea ko te ahua o te ahi, a wheriko tonu te marama i tetahi taha, i tetahi taha ona.
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.
28 Rite tonu ki te ahua o te kopere i te kapua i te ra ua te ahua o te wherikotanga a taka noa. Ko te ahua tena, ko te ritenga o te kororia o Ihowa. No toku kitenga, tapapa ana ahau ki raro; na, ka rongo ahau i te reo o tetahi e korero ana.
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.

< Ehekiera 1 >