¹ Het geschiedde nu in het zesde jaar, in de zesde maand, op den vijfden der maand, als ik in mijn huis zat, en de oudsten van Juda voor mijn aangezicht zaten, dat de hand des Heeren Heeren daar over mij viel.

¹ Waarom zouden van den Almachtige de tijden niet verborgen zijn, dewijl zij, die Hem kennen, Zijn dagen niet zien?

² Zij tasten de landpalen aan; de kudden roven zij, en weiden ze.

³ Den ezel der wezen drijven zij weg; den os ener weduwe nemen zij te pand.

⁴ Zij doen de nooddruftigen wijken van den weg; te zamen versteken zich de ellendigen des lands.

⁵ Ziet, zij zijn woudezels in de woestijn; zij gaan uit tot hun werk, makende zich vroeg op ten roof; het vlakke veld is hem tot spijs, en den jongeren.

⁶ Op het veld maaien zij zijn voeder, en den wijnberg des goddelozen lezen zij af.

⁷ Den naakten laten zij vernachten zonder kleding, die geen deksel heeft tegen de koude.

⁸ Van den stroom der bergen worden zij nat, en zonder toevlucht zijnde, omhelzen zij de steenrotsen.

⁹ Zij rukken het weesje van de borst, en dat over den arme is, nemen zij te pand.

¹⁰ Den naakte doen zij weggaan zonder kleed, en hongerig, die garven dragen.

¹¹ Tussen hun muren persen zij olie uit, treden de wijnpersen, en zijn dorstig.

¹² Uit de stad zuchten de lieden, en de ziel der verwonden schreeuwt uit; nochtans beschikt God niets ongerijmds.

¹³ Zij zijn onder de wederstrevers des lichts; zij kennen Zijn wegen niet, en zij blijven niet op Zijn paden.

¹⁴ Met het licht staat de moorder op, doodt den arme en den nooddruftige; en des nachts is hij als een dief.

¹⁵ Ook neemt het oog des overspelers de schemering waar, zeggende: Geen oog zal mij zien; en hij legt een deksel op het aangezicht.

¹⁶ In de duisternis doorgraaft hij de huizen, die zij zich des daags afgetekend hadden; zij kennen het licht niet.

¹⁷ Want de morgenstond is hun te zamen de schaduw des doods; als men hen kent, zijn zij in de strikken van des doods schaduw.

¹⁸ Hij is licht op het vlakke der wateren; vervloekt is hun deel op de aarde; hij wendt zich niet tot den weg der wijngaarden.

¹⁹ De droogte mitsgaders de hitte nemen de sneeuwwateren weg; alzo het graf dergenen, die gezondigd hebben.

²⁰ De baarmoeder vergeet hem, het gewormte is hem zoet, zijns wordt niet meer gedacht; en het onrecht wordt gebroken als een hout.

²¹ De onvruchtbare, die niet baart, teert hij af, en aan de weduwe doet hij niets goeds.

²² Ook trekt hij de machtigen door zijn kracht; staat hij op, zo is men des levens niet zeker.

²³ Stelt hem God in gerustigheid, zo steunt hij daarop; nochtans zijn Zijn ogen op hun wegen.

²⁴ Zij zijn een weinig tijds verheven, daarna is er niemand van hen; zij worden nedergedrukt; gelijk alle anderen worden zij besloten; en gelijk de top ener aar worden zij afgesneden.

²⁵ Indien het nu zo niet is, wie zal mij leugenachtig maken, en mijn rede tot niet brengen?

¹ Now it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

² In the fifth [day] of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

³ the word of Yahweh came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Yahweh was there on him.

⁴ I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of its midst as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.

⁵ Out of its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

⁶ Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.

⁷ Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.

⁸ They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings [thus]:

⁹ their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; each one went straight forward.

¹⁰ As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side; and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side; the four of them also had the face of an eagle.

¹¹ Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and Two covered their bodies.

¹² Each one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went.

¹³ As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: [the fire] went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

¹⁴ The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

¹⁵ Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.

¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and the four of them had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.

¹⁷ When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.

¹⁸ As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.

¹⁹ When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

²⁰ Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

²¹ When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

²² Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched forth Over their heads above.

²³ Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies.

²⁴ When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁵ There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁶ Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.

²⁷ I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.

²⁸ As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.