The Lord Gives Ezekiel Visions of His Glory
1I was 30 years old. I was with my people. We had been taken away from our country. We were by the Kebar River in the land of Babylon. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the heavens were opened. I saw visions of God.
2It was the fifth day of the month. Jehoiachin had been king of Judah. It was the fifth year since he had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. 3A message from the Lord came to me. I was by the Kebar River in Babylon. The power of the Lord came on me there. I am Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi.
4I looked up and saw a windstorm coming from the north. I saw a huge cloud. The fire of lightning was flashing out of it. Bright light surrounded it. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal. 5I saw in the fire something that looked like four living creatures. They appeared to have the shape of a human being. 6But each of them had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like the feet of a calf. They were as bright as polished bronze. 8The creatures had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. 9The wings of one touched the wings of another. Each of the creatures went straight ahead. They didn’t change their direction as they moved.
10Here’s what their faces looked like. Each of the four creatures had the face of a human being. On the right side each had the face of a lion. On the left each had the face of an ox. Each one also had an eagle’s face. 11That’s what their faces looked like. They each had two wings that spread out and lifted up. Each wing touched the wing of another creature on either side. They each had two other wings that covered their bodies. 12All the creatures went straight ahead. Anywhere their spirits would lead them to go, they would go. They didn’t change their direction as they went. 13The living creatures looked like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures. It was bright. Lightning flashed out of it. 14The creatures raced back and forth like flashes of lightning.
15As I looked at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground beside them. Each creature had four faces. 16Here’s how the wheels looked and worked. They gleamed like topaz. All four of them looked alike. Each one seemed to be made like a wheel inside another wheel at right angles. 17The wheels could go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced. The wheels didn’t change their direction as the creatures moved. 18Their rims were high and terrifying. All four rims were full of eyes all the way around them.
19When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved. When the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20Anywhere their spirits would lead them to go, they would go. And the wheels would rise along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels. 21When the living creatures moved, the wheels also moved. When the creatures stood still, they also stood still. When the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels.
22Something that looked like a huge space was spread out above the heads of the living creatures. It gleamed like crystal. It was terrifying. 23The wings of the creatures were spread out under the space. They reached out toward one another. Each creature had two wings covering its body. 24When the living creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings. It was like the roar of rushing waters. It sounded like the thundering voice of the Mighty God. It was like the loud noise an army makes. When the creatures stood still, they lowered their wings.
25Then a voice came from above the huge space over their heads. They stood with their wings lowered. 26Above the space over their heads was something that looked like a throne made out of lapis lazuli. On the throne high above was a figure that appeared to be a man. 27From his waist up he looked like glowing metal that was full of fire. From his waist down he looked like fire. Bright light surrounded him. 28The glow around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day.
That’s what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell with my face toward the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking.
Viumbe Hai Na Utukufu Wa Bwana
11:1 Kum 21:10; Mt 3:16; Eze 11:24-25; Mdo 7:56; Kut 24:10Katika mwaka wa thelathini, mwezi wa nne, siku ya tano ya mwezi, wakati nilipokuwa miongoni mwa hao waliokuwa uhamishoni kando ya Mto Kebari, mbingu zilifunguka nami nikaona maono ya Mungu.
21:2 2Fal 24:15; 24:15; 24:12Katika siku ya tano ya mwezi, ilikuwa mwaka wa tano wa kuhamishwa kwa Mfalme Yehayakini, 31:3 2Fal 3:15; Isa 8:11; 2Pet 1:21; Eze 24:24; 3:14, 22; 33:22neno la Bwana lilimjia Ezekieli kuhani, mwana wa Buzi, kando ya Mto Kebari, katika nchi ya Wakaldayo. Huko mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa juu yake.
41:4 Yer 1:14; 23:19; Eze 8:2; Ay 38:1Nilitazama, nikaona dhoruba kubwa ikitoka kaskazini, wingu kubwa sana pamoja likiwa na umeme wa radi likiwa limezungukwa na mwanga mkali. Katikati ya huo moto kulikuwa kama rangi ya manjano ya chuma kinapokuwa ndani ya moto. 51:5 Isa 6:2; Ufu 4:6; Dan 7:13Katika ule moto kulikuwa na kitu kinachofanana na viumbe vinne vyenye uhai. Katika kuonekana kwake vilikuwa na umbo mfano wa mwanadamu, 61:6 Eze 10:14lakini kila kimoja kilikuwa na nyuso nne na mabawa manne. 71:7 Dan 10:6; Ufu 1:15; Eze 40:3Miguu yao ilikuwa imenyooka, nyayo za miguu yao zilikuwa kama kwato za miguu ya ndama, nazo zilimetameta kama shaba iliyosuguliwa. 81:8 Eze 10:8; 10:18, 21Chini ya mabawa yao katika pande zao nne walikuwa na mikono ya mwanadamu. Wote wanne walikuwa na nyuso na mabawa, 91:9 Eze 10:22; 10:11; 1:11nayo mabawa yao yaligusana. Kila mmoja alikwenda kuelekea mbele moja kwa moja, hawakugeuka walipokuwa wanatembea.
101:10 Eze 10:4; Ufu 4:7; Hes 2:10Kuonekana kwa nyuso zao kulikuwa hivi: Kila mmoja wa wale wanne alikuwa na uso wa mwanadamu na kwa upande wa kulia kila mmoja alikuwa na uso wa simba, upande wa kushoto alikuwa na uso wa ngʼombe pia kila mmoja alikuwa na uso wa tai. 111:11 Isa 6:2Hivyo ndivyo zilivyokuwa nyuso zao. Mabawa yao yalikunjuliwa kuelekea juu, kila mmoja alikuwa na mabawa mawili ambayo kila moja liligusa bawa la mwenzake kila upande na mabawa mengine mawili yakifunika mwili wake. 121:12 Eze 10:16-19; 10:22Kila mmoja alikwenda kuelekea mbele moja kwa moja. Popote roho alipotaka kwenda, ndipo walipokwenda pasipo kugeuka. 131:13 Ufu 4:5; Mt 28:3; 2Sam 22:9Kuonekana kwa vile viumbe hai katikati kulikuwa kama makaa ya mawe yanayowaka au kama mienge. Moto ule ulikuwa ukienda mbele na nyuma katikati ya vile viumbe, ulikuwa na mwangaza mkali na katikati ya ule moto kulitoka kimulimuli kama umeme wa radi. 141:14 Zek 4:10; Za 29:7; Amu 13:20Vile viumbe vilipiga mbio kwenda na kurudi, kama vimulimuli vya umeme wa radi.
151:15 Eze 3:13; 10:2; Dan 7:9Nilipokuwa nikitazama vile viumbe hai, niliona gurudumu moja juu ya ardhi kando ya kila kiumbe kikiwa na nyuso zake nne. 161:16 Dan 10:6; Kut 28:20Hivi ndivyo ilivyokuwa kuonekana kwa hayo magurudumu na muundo wake: yalingʼaa kama zabarajadi, nayo yote manne yalifanana. Kila gurudumu lilikuwa na gurudumu jingine ndani yake. 171:17 Eze 1:12; 1:19Yalipokwenda yalielekea upande wowote wa pande nne walipoelekea wale viumbe, magurudumu hayakuzunguka wakati viumbe vile vilipokwenda. 181:18 Mit 15:3; Eze 10:12; Ufu 4:6Kingo zake zilikuwa ndefu kwenda juu na za kutisha, nazo zote nne zilijawa na macho pande zote.
191:19 Eze 1:16, 17Vile viumbe hai vilipokwenda, magurudumu yaliyokuwa kando yao yalisogea na wakati hivyo viumbe hai vilipoinuka kutoka ardhini magurudumu nayo yaliinuka. 201:20 Eze 1:12; 10:17Mahali popote roho alipokwenda wale viumbe nao walikwenda, nayo magurudumu yaliinuka pamoja navyo, kwa sababu roho ya vile viumbe hai alikuwa ndani ya hayo magurudumu. 211:21 Eze 10:9, 12, 17Wakati viumbe vile viliposogea, nayo magurudumu yalisogea, viumbe viliposimama kimya, nayo pia yalisimama kimya, viumbe vilipoinuka juu ya nchi magurudumu yaliinuliwa pamoja navyo kwa kuwa roho ya hivyo viumbe hai alikuwa ndani ya hayo magurudumu.
221:22 Eze 10:1, 5Juu ya vichwa vya hao viumbe hai palikuwa na kitu mfano wa eneo lililokuwa wazi, lililokuwa angavu kabisa na lenye kutisha. 23Chini ya hiyo nafasi mabawa yao yalitanda moja kuelekea jingine, kila mmoja alikuwa na mabawa mengine mawili yaliyofunika mwili wake. 241:24 2Fal 7:6; Ufu 14:2; Dan 10:6; Za 18:13; 46:3; Eze 10:5; 43:2; Ufu 19:6Viumbe wale waliposogea nilisikia sauti ya mabawa yao, kama ngurumo ya maji yaendayo kasi, kama sauti ya Mwenyezi,1:24 Mwenyezi hapa ina maana ya Shaddai kwa Kiebrania. kama makelele ya jeshi. Waliposimama kimya walishusha mabawa yao.
25Ndipo ikaja sauti toka juu ya ile nafasi ya wazi iliyokuwa juu ya vichwa vyao, waliposimama mabawa yao yakiwa yameshushwa. 261:26 Kut 24:10; Eze 10:1; Ufu 1:13; Isa 6:1; 1Fal 22:19; Yer 3:17Juu ya ile nafasi ya wazi iliyokuwa juu ya vichwa vyao kulikuwa na kitu mfano wa kiti cha enzi cha yakuti samawi. Na juu ya kile kiti cha enzi kulikuwa na umbo mfano wa mwanadamu. 271:27 Eze 8:2Nikaona kwamba kutokana na kile nilichoona kama kiuno chake kuelekea juu alionekana kama chuma inayowaka kana kwamba imejaa moto na kuanzia kiuno kwenda chini alionekana kama moto na mwanga mkali ulimzunguka. 281:28 Mwa 9:13; Ufu 10:1; 4:2; 1:17; Hes 12:8; Kut 24:16; Dan 8:17; Hes 14:5; Lk 2:9; Kut 16:7Kama vile kuonekana kwa upinde wa mvua mawinguni siku ya mvua, ndivyo ulivyokuwa ule mngʼao uliomzunguka.
Hivi ndivyo ilivyokuwa kuonekana kwa utukufu wa Bwana. Nilipouona, nikaanguka kifudifudi, nikasikia sauti ya mtu anaongea.
