1 I l trentesimo anno, il quinto giorno del quarto mese, mentre mi trovavo presso il fiume Chebar fra i deportati, i cieli si aprirono e io ebbi delle visioni divine.

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth, on the fifth of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

2 I l quinto giorno del mese (era il quinto anno della deportazione del re Ioiachin),

On the fifth of the month, (it was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,)

3 l a parola del Signore fu rivolta al sacerdote Ezechiele, figlio di Buzi, nel paese dei Caldei, presso il fiume Chebar; in quel luogo la mano del Signore fu sopra di lui.

the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him.

4 I o guardai, ed ecco venire dal settentrione un vento tempestoso, una grossa nuvola con un fuoco folgorante e uno splendore intorno ad essa; nel centro vi era come un bagliore di metallo in mezzo al fuoco.

And I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the look of glowing brass, out of the midst of the fire.

5 N el centro appariva la forma di quattro esseri viventi, e questo era l’aspetto loro: avevano aspetto umano.

Also out of the midst thereof, the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

6 O gnuno di essi aveva quattro facce e quattro ali.

And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.

7 I loro piedi erano diritti e la pianta dei loro piedi era come la pianta del piede di un vitello; brillavano come il bagliore del bronzo lucente.

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

8 A vevano mani d’uomo sotto le ali, ai loro quattro lati; tutti e quattro avevano le loro facce e le loro ali.

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings:

9 L e loro ali si univano l’una all’altra; camminando non si voltavano, ognuno camminava diritto davanti a sé.

their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

10 Q uanto all’aspetto delle loro facce, essi avevano tutti una faccia d’uomo, tutti e quattro una faccia di leone a destra, tutti e quattro una faccia di bue a sinistra e tutti e quattro una faccia d’aquila.

And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

11 L e loro facce e le loro ali erano separate nella parte superiore; ognuno aveva due ali che si univano a quelle dell’altro e due che coprivano loro il corpo.

And their faces and their wings were parted above; two of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

12 C amminavano ognuno diritto davanti a sé; andavano dove lo Spirito li faceva andare e, camminando, non si voltavano.

And they went every one straight forward: whither the Spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.

13 L ’aspetto di quegli esseri viventi era come di carboni incandescenti, come di fiaccole; quel fuoco circolava in mezzo agli esseri viventi, era un fuoco scintillante, e dal fuoco uscivano dei lampi.

And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, as the appearance of torches: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright; and out of the fire went forth lightning.

14 L e creature viventi correvano in tutte le direzioni, simili al fulmine.

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

15 M entre guardavo gli esseri viventi, ecco una ruota in terra presso ciascuno di essi, verso le loro quattro facce.

And I looked at the living creatures, and behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, toward their four faces.

16 L ’aspetto delle ruote era come il bagliore del crisolito, tutte e quattro si somigliavano; il loro aspetto e la loro struttura erano come se una ruota fosse in mezzo a un’altra ruota.

The appearance of the wheels and their work was as the look of a chrysolite; and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

17 Q uando si muovevano, andavano tutte e quattro dal proprio lato e, andando, non si voltavano.

When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not when they went.

18 I loro cerchi erano alti e imponenti; i cerchi di tutte e quattro erano pieni d’occhi tutto intorno.

As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.

19 Q uando gli esseri viventi camminavano, le ruote si muovevano accanto a loro; quando gli esseri viventi si alzavano su da terra, si alzavano anche le ruote.

And 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 D ovunque lo Spirito voleva andare, andavano anch’esse; le ruote si alzavano accanto a quelli, perché lo spirito degli esseri viventi era nelle ruote.

Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither would spirit go; and the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

21 Q uando quelli camminavano, anche le ruote si muovevano; quando quelli si fermavano, anche queste si fermavano; e quando quelli si alzavano su dalla terra, anche queste si alzavano accanto a essi, perché lo spirito degli esseri viventi era nelle ruote.

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

22 S opra le teste degli esseri viventi c’era come una volta di un bagliore come di cristallo di ammirevole splendore, e si estendeva su in alto, sopra le loro teste.

And there was the likeness of an expanse over the heads of the living creature, as the look of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

23 S otto la volta le loro ali erano diritte, l’una verso l’altra; ciascuno ne aveva due che coprivano il corpo.

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

24 Q uando camminavano, io sentivo il rumore delle loro ali, come il rumore delle grandi acque, come la voce dell’Onnipotente: un rumore di gran tumulto, come il rumore di un accampamento; quando si fermavano, abbassavano le loro ali;

And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, a tumultuous noise, as the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings;

25 s i udiva un rumore che veniva dall’alto, dalla volta che era sopra le loro teste.

and there was a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings.

26 A l di sopra della volta che era sopra le loro teste, c’era come una pietra di zaffiro, che pareva un trono; e su questa specie di trono appariva come la figura di un uomo, che vi stava seduto sopra, su in alto.

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

27 V idi pure come un bagliore di metallo, come del fuoco, che lo circondava tutto intorno, dalla sembianza dei suoi fianchi in su; e dalla sembianza dei suoi fianchi in giù vidi come del fuoco, come uno splendore tutto attorno a lui.

And I saw as the look of glowing brass, as the appearance of fire, within it round about; from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

28 Q uale è l’aspetto dell’arco che è nella nuvola in un giorno di pioggia, tale era l’aspetto di quello splendore che lo circondava. Era un’apparizione dell’immagine della gloria del Signore. A quella vista caddi sulla mia faccia e udii la voce di uno che parlava.

As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.