¹ NEL principio Iddio creò il cielo e la terra.

² E la terra era una cosa deserta e vacua; e tenebre erano sopra la faccia dell’abisso. E lo Spirito di Dio si moveva sopra la faccia delle acque.

³ E Iddio disse: Sia la luce. E la luce fu.

⁴ E Iddio vide che la luce era buona. E Iddio separò la luce dalle tenebre.

⁵ E Iddio nominò la luce Giorno, e le tenebre Notte. Così fu sera, e poi fu mattina, che fu il primo Giorno.

⁶ Poi Iddio disse: Siavi una distesa tra le acque, la quale separi le acque dalle acque.

⁷ E Iddio fece quella distesa: e separò le acque che son disotto alla distesa, da quelle che son disopra d’essa. E così fu.

⁸ E Iddio nominò la distesa Cielo. Così fu sera, e poi fu mattina, che fu il secondo giorno.

⁹ Poi Iddio disse: Sieno tutte le acque, che son sotto al cielo, raccolte in un luogo, ed apparisca l’asciutto. E così fu.

¹⁰ E Iddio nominò l’asciutto Terra, e la raccolta delle acque Mari. E Iddio vide che ciò era buono.

¹¹ Poi Iddio disse: Produca la terra erba minuta, erbe che facciano seme, ed alberi fruttiferi che portino frutto, secondo le loro specie; il cui seme sia in esso, sopra la terra. E così fu.

¹² La terra adunque produsse erba minuta, erbe che fanno seme, secondo le loro specie, ed alberi che portano frutto, il cui seme è in esso, secondo le loro specie. E Iddio vide che ciò era buono.

¹³ Così fu sera, e poi fu mattina, che fu il terzo giorno.

¹⁴ Poi Iddio disse: Sienvi de’ luminari nella distesa del cielo, per far distinzione tra il giorno e la notte: e quelli sieno per segni, e per distinguer le stagioni e i giorni e gli anni.

¹⁵ E sieno per luminari nella distesa del cielo, per recar la luce in su la terra. E così fu.

¹⁶ Iddio adunque fece i due gran luminari il maggiore per avere il reggimento del giorno, e il minore per avere il reggimento della notte, e le stelle.

¹⁷ E Iddio li mise nella distesa del cielo, per recar la luce sopra la terra,

¹⁸ e per avere il reggimento del giorno e della notte, e per separar la luce dalle tenebre. E Iddio vide che ciò era buono.

¹⁹ Così fu sera, e poi fu mattina, che fu il quarto giorno.

²⁰ Poi Iddio disse: Producano le acque copiosamente rettili, che sieno animali viventi; e volino gli uccelli sopra la terra, e per la distesa del cielo.

²¹ Iddio adunque creò le grandi balene, ed ogni animal vivente che va serpendo; i quali animali le acque produssero copiosamente, secondo le loro specie; ed ogni sorta di uccelli che hanno ale, secondo le loro specie. E Iddio vide che ciò era buono.

²² E Iddio li benedisse, dicendo: Figliate, moltiplicate, ed empiete le acque ne’ mari; moltiplichino parimente gli uccelli sulla terra.

²³ Così fu sera, e poi fu mattina, che fu il quinto giorno.

²⁴ Poi Iddio disse: Produca la terra animali viventi, secondo le loro specie; bestie domestiche, rettili e fiere della terra, secondo le loro specie. E così fu.

²⁵ Iddio adunque fece le fiere della terra, secondo le loro specie; e gli animali domestici, secondo le loro specie; ed ogni sorta di rettili della terra, secondo le loro specie. E Iddio vide che ciò era buono.

²⁶ Poi Iddio disse: Facciamo l’uomo alla nostra immagine, secondo la nostra somiglianza; ed abbia la signoria sopra i pesci del mare, e sopra gli uccelli del cielo, e sopra le bestie, e sopra tutta la terra, e sopra ogni rettile che serpe sopra la terra.

²⁷ Iddio adunque creò l’uomo alla sua immagine; egli lo creò all’immagine di Dio; egli li creò maschio e femmina.

²⁸ E Iddio li benedisse, e disse loro: Fruttate e moltiplicate, ed empiete la terra, e rendetevela soggetta, e signoreggiate sopra i pesci del mare, e sopra gli uccelli del cielo, e sopra ogni bestia che cammina sopra la terra.

²⁹ Oltre a ciò, Iddio disse: Ecco, io vi do tutte l’erbe che producono seme, che son sopra tutta la terra; e tutti gli alberi fruttiferi che fanno seme. Queste cose vi saranno per cibo.

³⁰ Ma a tutte le bestie della terra, ed a tutti gli uccelli del cielo, ed a tutti gli animali che serpono sopra la terra, ne’ quali è anima vivente, io do ogni erba verde per mangiarla. E così fu.

³¹ E Iddio vide tutto quello ch’egli avea fatto; ed ecco, era molto buono. Così fu sera, e poi fu mattina, che fu il sesto giorno.

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.