Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision
1In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
2On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin— 3the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians.1:3 Or Chaldeans There the hand of the Lord was on him.
4I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, 6but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, 9and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
10Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. 12Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
15As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. 18Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. 23Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. 24When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty,1:24 Hebrew Shaddai like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one 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.
