Ezekiel 10
New American Standard Bible
Vision of God’s Glory Departing from the Temple
10 Then I looked, and behold, in the [a](A)expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a (B)sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a (C)throne, appeared above them. 2 And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Enter between the (D)whirling wheels under the [b]cherubim and fill your hands with (E)coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he entered in my sight.
3 Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the [c]temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the (F)inner courtyard. 4 Then the (G)glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the (H)temple was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the (I)brightness of the glory of the Lord. 5 Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer courtyard, like the (J)voice of [d]God Almighty when He speaks.
6 And it came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he entered and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then the cherub reached out with his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some coals and put them into the hands of the one clothed in linen; and he took them and went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have something like a human hand under their wings.
9 Then I looked, and behold, (K)four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a [e](L)Tarshish stone. 10 And as for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel. 11 When they moved, they went (M)in any of their four [f]directions without turning as they went; but they followed in the direction which [g]they faced, without turning as they went. 12 And their (N)whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the (O)wheels were [h]covered with eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them. 13 The wheels were called, [i]as I heard, the [j]whirling wheels. 14 And (P)each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a human, the third, the face of a lion, and the fourth, the face of an eagle.
15 Then the cherubim rose up. They are the (Q)living beings that I saw by the river Chebar. 16 Now when the cherubim moved, the wheels would move beside them; also when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels themselves would not turn away from beside them. 17 When [k]the cherubim (R)stood still, [l]the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, [m]the wheels would rise with them, because the spirit of the living beings was in them.
18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood (S)over the cherubim. 19 When (T)the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the ground in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel [n]hovered over them.
20 These are the (U)living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by (V)the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim. 21 (W)Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands. 22 As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went straight ahead.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 10:1 Or firmament; i.e., atmosphere and space
- Ezekiel 10:2 As in LXX; MT cherub
- Ezekiel 10:3 Lit house, and so throughout the ch
- Ezekiel 10:5 Heb El Shaddai
- Ezekiel 10:9 Perhaps topaz
- Ezekiel 10:11 Lit sides
- Ezekiel 10:11 Lit the head turned
- Ezekiel 10:12 Lit full of
- Ezekiel 10:13 Lit in my ears
- Ezekiel 10:13 Heb galgal
- Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
- Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
- Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
- Ezekiel 10:19 Lit over them from above
Ezekiel 10
The Voice
10 Then I looked and saw what looked like a throne made of sapphire up above the expanse over the heads of the winged guardians.[a] 2 God spoke to the man clothed in linen.
These fantastic winged creatures are the same living beings Ezekiel encounters in his initial vision (chapter 1). They serve two purposes in Scripture: accompanying the presence of God—as Ezekiel describes twice—and guarding some of God’s holiest places. Creatures like these, of course, strike fear in anyone who sees them; their otherworldly appearance is perfect for decorating the covenant chest in the temple and guarding the way to the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24). The creatures’ fantastic appearance has inspired artists and craftsmen for generations. Depictions of these heavenly creatures appear all over the temple and the tabernacle; they are sewn into tapestries, engraved on walls, and used to decorate tools of worship.
Eternal One: Go among the spinning wheels beneath the winged guardians; gather the burning charcoal among them into your hands, and then spread the coals over the city.
While I was watching, the man clothed in linen went among the wheels.
3 Now the winged guardians stood on the south side of the temple when the man clothed in linen entered. A great cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the Eternal rose above the guardians and moved to the doorway of the temple. The cloud swelled and filled the temple, and the court was full of the blazing presence of the glory of the Eternal. 5 The otherworldly sound made by the guardians’ wings could be heard as far away as the outer court and sounded like the voice of God Almighty.[b]
6 When God instructed the man clothed in linen, “Remove fire from among the wheels that sit next to the winged guardians,” the man went and stood next to a wheel. 7 Then one of those creatures reached into the fire burning among them, grabbed hold of some of the fiery coals, and placed them into the hands of the man wearing linen. The man took them and left the temple court. 8 It was then I noticed that underneath the wings of the creatures were what looked like human hands.
9 Then I looked and saw four wheels, one beside each of the winged guardians. The wheels glittered like sun-kissed jewels. 10 All four wheels looked exactly alike; each wheel appeared to have another one inside it. 11 As the wheels moved, they went in any of the four directions the living creatures faced. They rolled straight ahead, never swerving off to the side. 12 The entire bodies of the living creatures—their hands, backs, and wings—and the wheels belonging to each of them were covered with what appeared to be eyes. 13 I heard someone call the wheels “the spinning wheels.” 14 Each of the winged guardians had four faces: the first was the face of a guardian, the second the face of a human, a third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 Then the winged guardians ascended. These were the same living creatures I had seen earlier near the Chebar Canal. 16 When they moved, the wheels stayed right beside them. When the guardians stretched out their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels followed after them. 17 When the guardians stood still, so did the wheels. And when they flew up, so did the wheels, because the spirit of the four living creatures was in the wheels.
18 Then the glory of the Eternal departed from the temple doorway and hovered above the winged guardians. 19 I continued to watch the creatures stretch out their wings and rise up from the ground, and as they rose, the wheels went along with them. The creatures and the wheels stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the Eternal’s temple. There, the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.
20 These were the same living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel near the Chebar Canal. I understood that they were the heavenly winged guardians. 21 Each of the living creatures had four faces and four wings, and beneath each wing was what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces looked exactly like the faces I had seen near the Chebar Canal. Each of them went straight ahead.
Ezekiel 10
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Glory of the Lord Leaves His Temple
10 As I looked at the dome over the heads of the angels,[a] I saw something that looked like a throne made of sapphire. 2 The Lord said to the person dressed in linen, “Go between the wheels under the angels, and fill your hands with burning coals. Then scatter them over the city.” So he went between the wheels as I watched.
3 The angels were standing on the south side of the temple as the person went. A cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4 The Lord’s glory rose from the angels to the entrance of the temple, the cloud filled the temple, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory filled the courtyard. 5 The sound of the angels’ wings was heard as far as the outer courtyard. It was like the sound of the Almighty God when he speaks.
6 After the Lord had commanded the person dressed in linen to take burning coals from between the wheels beside the angels, the person went in and stood beside one of the wheels. 7 One of the angels reached into the fire that was between the angels and took out some coals. This angel put them in the hands of the person dressed in linen. The person took them and left.
8 The angels appeared to have what looked like human hands under their wings. 9 As I looked, I saw four wheels beside the angels, one wheel beside each of the angels. The wheels looked like beryl. 10 All four wheels looked the same. Each was like a wheel within a wheel. 11 Whenever the angels moved, they moved in any of the four directions without turning as they moved. They always moved in the direction they faced without turning as they moved. 12 Their entire bodies, their backs, hands, wings, and wheels were covered with eyes. Each of the angels had a wheel. 13 I heard that the wheels were called the whirling wheels. 14 Each of the angels had four faces. The first was the face of an angel, the second was the face of a human, the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.
15 The angels rose. These were the living creatures that I saw at the Chebar River. 16 When the angels moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the angels lifted their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels didn’t leave their side. 17 When the angels stood still, the wheels stood still. When the angels rose, the wheels rose with them. The spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 18 Then the glory of the Lord left the temple’s entrance and stood over the angels. 19 The angels lifted their wings and rose from the ground. I was watching them as they left with the wheels beside them. The angels stood at the door to the east gate of the Lord’s temple, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
20 These are the living creatures that I saw under the God of Israel at the Chebar River. I realized that they were angels. 21 Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings were what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces looked exactly like the faces that I saw by the Chebar River. Each one went straight ahead.
Footnotes
- 10:1 Or “cherubim.”
Ezequiel 10
Palabra de Dios para Todos
La gloria del Señor abandona el templo
10 De pronto, sobre la bóveda que parecía zafiro y que estaba sobre los querubines, vi que aparecía sobre ellos algo como un trono. 2 Entonces él le dijo al hombre vestido de lino: «Métete entre las ruedas[a] que están debajo de los querubines y con las manos toma carbón del altar de entre los querubines, y espárcelo por la ciudad». Luego se acercó a mí.
3 Los querubines estaban de pie, a la derecha del templo. Cuando el hombre se acercó, la nube empezó a llenar el patio interior. 4 Cuando la gloria del SEÑOR se había elevado de los querubines dirigiéndose hacia la entrada del templo, la nube llenó el templo y la luz gloriosa del SEÑOR inundó el patio. 5 El sonido de las alas de los querubines se podía oír hasta el patio exterior, como una voz de trueno del Dios Todopoderoso.
6 Así que cuando el Señor le ordenó al hombre vestido de lino que tomara el fuego de entre las ruedas, o sea del área entre los querubines, fue y se paró al lado de las ruedas. 7 Uno de los querubines extendió la mano y tomó el fuego que estaba entre ellos, tomó también un carbón ardiente y lo colocó en las manos del hombre que estaba vestido de lino, quien lo tomó y se fue. 8 Debajo de las alas, los querubines tenían algo parecido a manos humanas.
9 Noté que había cuatro ruedas cerca de los querubines, una por cada querubín. Las ruedas se veían como el topacio y todas eran iguales. 10 Parecía como que cada rueda estaba encajada en la otra. 11 Las cuatro animales avanzaban juntos. No volteaban, sino que a donde iba la parte del frente, seguía la parte posterior. No se volteaban al avanzar. 12 Los cuatro querubines estaban cubiertos de ojos por todo el cuerpo, la espalda, los brazos, las alas y las ruedas. 13 Oí que a las ruedas se les llamaban «círculos». 14 Cada querubín tenía cuatro caras: la primera, de querubín; la segunda, de humano; la tercera, de león; y la cuarta, de águila.
15 Entonces vi que los querubines que se elevaron, eran los mismos animales que vi en la visión junto al canal Quebar.[b] 16 Cuando los querubines avanzaban, las ruedas también avanzaban, y cuando los querubines extendían las alas para elevarse, las ruedas permanecían con ellos. 17 Cuando los querubines se detenían, las ruedas se detenían también; cuando se elevaban, las ruedas también se elevaban, pues el espíritu de los animales estaba con ellos.
18 Así que la gloria del SEÑOR dejó la entrada del templo y se colocó sobre los querubines. 19 Entonces los querubines desplegaron las alas y junto con las ruedas se elevaron en el aire ante mis propios ojos. Luego se pararon en la entrada oriental del templo del SEÑOR con la gloria del Dios de Israel sobre ellos.
20 Eran los mismos seres vivientes que había visto debajo del Dios de Israel junto al canal Quebar y me di cuenta que eran querubines. 21 Cada uno tenía cuatro caras, cuatro alas y algo semejante a manos humanas bajo las alas. 22 Las cuatro caras eran las mismas caras que había visto junto al canal Quebar, y cada uno de ellos avanzaba de frente.
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