1 Î n al treizecilea an, în a cincea zi a lunii a patra, pe cînd eram între prinşii de război dela rîul Chebar, s'au deschis cerurile, şi am avut vedenii dumnezeieşti.

Now in thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was in the midst of captivity beside the river Chebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

2 Î n a cincea zi a lunii-era în anul al cincilea al robiei împăratului Ioiachin, -

On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,

3 C uvîntul Domnului a vorbit lui Ezechiel, fiul lui Buzi, preotul, în ţara Haldeilor, lîngă rîul Chebar; şi acolo a venit mîna Domnului peste el.

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

4 M 'am uitat, şi iată că a venit dela mează-noapte un vînt năpraznic, un nor gros, şi un snop de foc, care răspîndea de jurîmprejur o lumină strălucitoare, în mijlocul căreia lucea ca o aramă lustruită, care ieşea din mijlocul focului.

As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud with a fire enveloping it and flashing continually; a brightness was about it and out of the midst of it there seemed to glow amber metal, out of the midst of the fire.

5 T ot în mijloc, se mai vedeau patru făpturi vii, a căror înfăţişare avea o asemănare omenească.

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

6 F iecare din ele avea patru feţe, şi fiecare avea patru aripi.

But each one had four faces and each one had four wings.

7 P icioarele lor erau drepte, şi talpa picioarelor lor era ca a piciorului unui viţel, şi scînteiau ca nişte aramă lustruită.

And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot, and they sparkled like burnished bronze.

8 S upt aripi, de cele patru părţi ale lor, aveau nişte mîni de om; şi toate patru aveau feţe şi aripi.

And 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 A ripile lor erau prinse una de alta. Şi cînd mergeau, nu se întorceau în nicio parte, ci fiecare mergea drept înainte.

Their wings touched one another; they turned not when they went but went every one straight forward.

10 C ît despre chipul feţelor lor era aşa: înainte, toate aveau o faţă de om; la dreapta lor, toate patru aveau cîte o faţă de leu, la stînga lor, toate patru aveau cîte o faţă de bou, iar înapoi, toate patru aveau cîte o faţă de vultur.

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

11 A ripile fiecăreia erau întinse în sus, aşa că două din aripile lor ajungeau pînă la cele învecinate, iar două le acopereau trupurile.

Such were their faces. And their wings were stretched out upward; two wings of each one were touching the wing of the creatures on either side of it, and two wings of each creature covered its body.

12 F iecare mergea drept înainte, şi anume încotro le mîna duhul să meargă, într'acolo mergeau; iar în mersul lor nu se întorceau în nici o parte.

And they went every one straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, and they turned not when they went.

13 Î n mijlocul acestor făpturi vii era ceva ca nişte cărbuni de foc aprinşi, cari ardeau; şi ceva ca nişte făclii umbla încoace şi încolo printre aceste făpturii vii; focul acesta arunca o lumină strălucitoare, şi din el ieşeau fulgere.

In the midst of the living creatures there was what looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright and out of the fire went forth lightning.

14 F ăpturile vii însă cînd alergau şi se întorceau, erau ca fulgerul.

And the living creatures darted back and forth like a flash of lightning.

15 M ă uitam la aceste făpturi vii, şi iată că pe pămînt, afară de făpturile vii, era o roată la fiecare din cele patru feţe ale lor.

Now as I was still looking at the living creatures, I saw one wheel upon the ground beside each of the living creatures with its four faces.

16 Î nfăţişarea acestor roate şi materialul din care erau făcute, păreau de hrisolit, şi toate patru aveau aceeaş întocmire. Înfăţişarea şi alcătuirea lor erau de aşa fel încît fiecare roată părea că este în mijlocul unei alte roate.

As to the appearance of the wheels and their construction: in appearance they gleamed like chrysolite; and the four were formed alike, and their construction work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.

17 C înd mergeau, alergau pe toate cele patru laturi ale lor, şi nu se întorceau deloc în mersul lor.

When they went, they went in one of their four directions without turning.

18 A veau nişte obezi de o înălţime înspăimîntătoare, şi pe obezile lor cele patru roate erau pline cu ochi de jur împrejur.

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

19 C înd mergeau făpturile vii, mergeau şi roatele pe lîngă ele; şi cînd se ridicau făpturile vii dela pămînt, se ridicau şi roatele.

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 U nde le mîna duhul să meargă, acolo mergeau, încotro voia duhul; şi împreună cu ele se ridicau şi roatele, căci duhul făpturilor vii era în roate.

Wherever the spirit went, the creatures went and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit or life of the living creature was in the wheels.

21 C înd mergeau făpturile vii, mergeau şi roatele; cînd se opreau ele, se opreau şi roatele; cînd se ridicau depe pămînt, se ridicau şi roatele; căci duhul făpturilor vii era în roate.

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 high beside them, for the spirit or life of the living creature was in the wheels.

22 D easupra capetelor făpturilor vii era ceva ca o întindere a cerului, care semăna cu cristalul strălucitor, şi se întindea în aer sus peste capetele lor.

Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, looking like the terrible and awesome crystal or ice stretched across the expanse of sky over their heads.

23 S upt cerul acesta, aripile lor stăteau drepte, întinse una spre alta, şi mai aveau fiecare cîte două aripi, cari le acopereau trupurile.

And under the firmament their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. Every living creature had two wings which covered its body on this side and two which covered it on that side.

24 C înd umblau, am auzit vîjiitul aripilor lor ca vîjiitul unor ape mari, şi ca glasul Celui Atotputernic. Cînd mergeau, era un vuiet gălăgios, ca al unei oştiri; iar cînd se opreau, îşi lăsau aripile în jos.

And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, the sound of tumult like the noise of a host. When they stood, they let down their wings.

25 Ş i venea un vuiet care pornea de deasupra cerului întins peste capetele lor; iar cînd se opreau îşi lăsau aripile în jos.

And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads; when they stood, they let down their wings.

26 D easupra cerului care era peste capetele lor, era ceva ca o piatră de safir, în chipul unui scaun de domnie; pe acest chip de scaun de domnie se vedea ca un chip de om, care şedea pe el.

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone, and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with the appearance of a Man.

27 A m mai văzut iarăş o lucire de aramă lustruită ca nişte foc, înlăuntrul căruia era omul acesta, şi care strălucea de jur împrejur; dela chipul rărunchilor lui pînă sus, şi dela chipul rărunchilor lui pînă jos, am văzut ca un fel de foc, şi de jur împrejur era înconjurat cu o lumină strălucitoare.

From what had the appearance of His waist upward, I saw a lustre as it were glowing metal with the appearance of fire enclosed round about within it; and from the appearance of His waist downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about Him.

28 C a înfăţişarea curcubeului, care sta în nor într'o zi de ploaie, aşa era şi înfăţişarea acestei lumini strălucitoare, care -l înconjura. Astfel era arătarea slavei Domnului. Cînd am văzut -o, am căzut cu faţa la pămînt, şi am auzit glasul Unuia care vorbea.

Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face and I heard a voice of One speaking.