Herrens herlighed forlader templet
1Derefter så jeg i mit syn noget, der lignede en trone af safir, som stod på den lysende hvælving over kerubernes hoveder. 2Jeg hørte Herren sige til manden, der var klædt i linned: „Gå ind mellem hjulene under keruberne og tag en håndfuld af de glødende kul og strø dem ud over byen.”
3Da manden fik besked på at gå hen til keruberne, stod de ved templets sydside, og den strålende sky af Herrens herlighed fyldte den indre forgård. 4Herrens stråleglans havde løftet sig fra keruberne og flyttet sig hen over templets indgang, så hele templet fyldtes af skyen, og hele forgården fyldtes af skæret fra Herrens herlighed. 5Lyden af kerubernes vingeslag kunne høres helt ud i den ydre forgård, og det lød, som når Gud, den Almægtige, taler.
6Da Herren befalede manden at gå ind mellem hjulene under keruberne og tage en håndfuld glødende kul, gik han hen og stillede sig ved et af hjulene. 7Derefter rakte en af keruberne hånden ud, tog nogle af de glødende kul fra ilden og gav dem til ham. Han tog imod kullene og gik tilbage, hvor han kom fra.
8Under kerubernes vinger var der nemlig noget, der lignede menneskehænder. 9Under hver af de fire keruber var der et hjul, der funklede som ædelsten. 10Alle hjulene var ens og inden i hvert hjul sad der et andet hjul på tværs. 11Keruberne og hjulene kunne bevæge sig i alle fire retninger uden at vende sig. De fulgte efter den ledende kerub uden at vende sig. 12Kerubernes krop, ryg, hænder og vinger var fulde af øjne, og det samme gjaldt hjulene. 13Jeg hørte, at hjulene blev kaldt „hvirvelhjul”.
14Hver af keruberne havde fire ansigter: et kerubansigt, et menneskeansigt, et løveansigt og et ørneansigt.
15Derpå bevægede de sig op i luften. De var ligesom de levende væsener, jeg tidligere havde set ved Kebarfloden. 16Når keruberne flyttede sig, gjorde hjulene det også. Når keruberne hævede sig i vejret, fulgte hjulene med dem og blev hos dem, mens de fløj. 17Hvor som helst de bevægede sig hen, fulgte hjulene med, for deres ånd var i hjulene.
18Derefter flyttede Herrens herlighed sig fra templets indgang til tronen over keruberne, 19og jeg så keruberne sprede vingerne ud og løfte sig fra jorden sammen med hjulene. De fløj væk fra templet, men gjorde ophold ved den østlige port, og Israels Guds herlighed hvilede hele tiden over dem.
20Jeg var klar over, at disse keruber var de samme som de levende væsener, jeg tidligere havde set under Israels Guds trone ved Kebarfloden. 21Hver af dem havde fire ansigter og fire vinger, og under deres vinger var der noget, som lignede menneskehænder. 22Deres ansigter var som dem, jeg havde set ved Kebarfloden, og de bevægede sig også på samme måde.
God’s Glory Departs From the Temple
1I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of lapis lazuli above the vault that was over the heads of the cherubim. 2The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.
3Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. 4Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. 5The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty10:5 Hebrew El-Shaddai when he speaks.
6When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. 8(Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)
9I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz. 10As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 11As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about10:11 Or aside as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. 12Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. 13I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” 14Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. 16When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. 17When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
18Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. 19While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
20These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that they were cherubim. 21Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like human hands. 22Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River. Each one went straight ahead.
