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ケルビムと神の臨在
1突然、ケルビムの頭上の大空に、青く輝くサファイヤの王座のようなものが現れました。 2主は亜麻布の衣を着た者に命じました。「ケルビムの下で回っている輪の間に入り、真っ赤に燃える炭火を両手いっぱいに持ち、エルサレムの町の上にまき散らせ。」
私の見ている前で、彼はそのとおりにしました。 3その男が入って行った時、ケルビムは神殿の南端に立っていて、栄光の雲が内庭いっぱいに広がっていました。 4すると、主の栄光がケルビムから立ち上り、神殿の入口に向かいました。神殿は栄光の雲に包まれ、庭は主の栄光で輝いています。 5ケルビムの翼の音も、全能の神の声のように、外庭にまではっきり聞こえます。
6主が亜麻布の衣を着た男に、「ケルビムの間に入り、輪の間から燃える炭火を取りなさい」と命じると、その人は入って行って、一つの輪のそばに立ちました。 7-8ケルビムの一つが翼の下から手を伸ばして、燃えさかる火の中から炭火を取り出し、亜麻布の衣を着た男の両手に盛りました。彼はそれを受け取ると出て行きました。
9-13四つのケルビムのそばにそれぞれ一つの輪があり、それが「車輪」と呼ばれているのを、私は聞きました。第二の輪が交差して第一の輪の中にはめ込まれており、その輪は黄緑の輝きを放ち、緑柱石のように光って見えました。このような輪の構造から、ケルビムは四方にまっすぐに進むことができました。向きを変えなくても、ケルビムの顔の向く方向に進めるのです。四つの輪はどれも、縁や輻まで全部、目で覆われていました。 14四つのケルビムはそれぞれ四つの顔があり、第一の顔は牛の顔、第二の顔は人間の顔、第三の顔はライオンの顔、第四の顔はわしの顔でした。
15-16これらの生きものは、かつてケバル川のほとりで見たのと同じものでした。ケルビムが飛び立つと、輪も同じように飛び立ちます。ケルビムが飛んでいる間、輪もそばについています。 17ケルビムが立ち止まると、輪も立ち止まります。ケルビムの霊が輪の中にあったからです。
18その時、主の栄光が神殿の入口から移動して、ケルビムの上にとどまりました。 19そのまま見ていると、ケルビムが輪とともに神殿の東の門に飛んで行き、イスラエルの神の栄光がその上を覆ったのです。 20これらの生きものは、かつてケバル川のほとりで、イスラエルの神の下にいるのを見たのと同じものでした。同じケルビムであることはすぐにわかります。 21それぞれ四つの顔と四つの翼を持ち、その翼の下には人間の手のようなものがあったからです。 22その容貌も、かつてケバル川のほとりで見たものと同じでした。ケルビムはみな、まっすぐ前へ進んで行きました。
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.
