¹ La parole de l'Eternel me fut encore [adressée], en disant :

² Fils d'homme, prophétise, et dis : ainsi a dit le Seigneur l'Eternel : hurlez, [et dites] : ah quelle journée!

³ Car la journée [est] proche, oui la journée de l'Eternel est proche, c'est une journée de nuage; ce sera le temps des nations.

⁴ L'épée viendra sur l'Egypte, et il y aura de l'effroi en Cus, quand ceux qui seront blessés à mort tomberont dans l'Egypte, et quand on enlèvera la multitude de son peuple, et que ses fondements seront ruinés.

⁵ Cus, et Put, et Lud, et tout le mélange [d'Arabie], et Cub, et les enfants du pays allié tomberont par l'épée avec eux.

⁶ Ainsi a dit l'Eternel : ceux qui soutiendront l'Egypte, tomberont; et l'orgueil de sa force sera renversé; ils tomberont en elle par l'épée depuis la tour de Syène, dit le Seigneur l'Eternel.

⁷ Et ils seront désolés au milieu des pays désolés, et ses villes seront au milieu des villes rendues désertes.

⁸ Et ils sauront que je suis l'Eternel, quand j'aurai mis le feu en Egypte; et tous ceux qui lui donneront du secours, seront brisés.

⁹ En ce jour-là des messagers sortiront de ma part dans des navires pour effrayer Cus l'assurée, et il y aura entre eux un tourment tel qu'à la journée d'Egypte; car voici, il vient.

¹⁰ Ainsi a dit le Seigneur l'Eternel : je ferai périr la multitude d'Egypte par la puissance de Nébucadnetsar, Roi de Babylone.

¹¹ Lui et son peuple avec lui, les plus terribles d'entre les nations, seront amenés pour ruiner le pays, et ils tireront leurs épées contre les Egyptiens, et rempliront la terre de morts.

¹² Et je mettrai à sec les bras [d'eau], et je livrerai le pays entre les mains de gens méchants, je désolerai le pays, et tout ce qui y est, par la puissance des étrangers; moi l'Eternel j'ai parlé.

¹³ Ainsi a dit le Seigneur l'Eternel : je détruirai aussi les idoles, j'anéantirai les faux dieux de Noph, et il n'y aura point de Prince qui soit du pays d'Egypte; et je mettrai la frayeur dans le pays d'Egypte.

¹⁴ Je désolerai Pathros, je mettrai le feu à Tsohan, et j'exercerai des jugements dans No.

¹⁵ Et je répandrai ma fureur sur Sin, qui est la force d'Egypte, et j'exterminerai la multitude qui est à No.

¹⁶ Quand je mettrai le feu en Egypte, Sin sera grièvement tourmentée, et No sera rompue par diverses brèches, et il n'y aura à Noph que détresses en plein jour.

¹⁷ Les jeunes gens d'élite d'Aven et de Pibeseth tomberont par l'épée, et elles iront en captivité.

¹⁸ Et le jour défaudra dans Taphnès, lorsque j'y romprai les barres d'Egypte, et que l'orgueil de sa force aura cessé; une nuée la couvrira, et les villes de son ressort iront en captivité.

¹⁹ Et j'exercerai des jugements en Egypte; et ils sauront que je suis l'Eternel.

²⁰ Or il était arrivé en la onzième année, au septième jour du premier mois, que la parole de l'Eternel m'avait été adressée, en disant :

²¹ Fils d'homme, j'ai rompu le bras de Pharaon Roi d'Egypte; et voici on ne l'a point bandé pour le guérir, en sorte qu'on lui ait mis des linges pour le bander, [et] pour le fortifier, afin qu'il pût empoigner l'épée.

²² C'est pourquoi ainsi a dit le Seigneur l'Eternel : voici, j'en veux à Pharaon Roi d'Egypte, et je romprai ses bras, tant celui qui est fort, que celui qui est rompu, et je ferai tomber l'épée de sa main.

²³ Et je disperserai les Egyptiens parmi les nations, et les répandrai parmi les pays.

²⁴ Et je fortifierai les bras du Roi de Babylone, et je lui mettrai mon épée en la main; mais je romprai les bras de Pharaon, et [Pharaon] jettera des sanglots devant lui, comme des gens blessés à mort.

²⁵ Je fortifierai donc les bras du Roi de Babylone, mais les bras de Pharaon tomberont; et on saura que je suis l'Eternel, quand j'aurai mis mon épée en la main du Roi de Babylone, et qu'il l'aura étendue sur le pays d'Egypte.

²⁶ Et je disperserai les Egyptiens parmi les nations, et les répandrai parmi les pays; et ils sauront que je suis l'Eternel.

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.