¹⁸ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet^(A) and saw the mountain in smoke,^(B) they trembled with fear.^(C) They stayed at a distance

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain^(A) in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”^(B)

Then a great and powerful wind^(C) tore the mountains apart and shattered^(D) the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

⁴ I looked, and I saw a windstorm^(A) coming out of the north^(B)—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,^{(C) 5} and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures.^(D) In appearance their form was human,^{(E) 6} but each of them had four faces^(F) and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.^{(G) 8} Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands.^(H) All four of them had faces and wings, ⁹ and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.^(I)

¹⁰ Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.^{(J) 11} Such were their faces. They each had two wings^(K) spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. ¹² Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.^{(L) 13} The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals^(M) of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning^(N) flashed out of it. ¹⁴ The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.^(O)

¹⁵ As I looked at the living creatures,^(P) I saw a wheel^(Q) on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. ¹⁶ This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz,^(R) and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. ¹⁷ As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction^(S) as the creatures went. ¹⁸ Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes^(T) all around.

¹⁹ When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. ²⁰ Wherever the spirit would go, they would go,^(U) and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. ²¹ When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.^(V)

²² Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault,^(W) sparkling like crystal, and awesome. ²³ Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing^(X) waters, like the voice^(Y) of the Almighty,^[a] like the tumult of an army.^(Z) When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

²⁵ Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. ²⁶ Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne^(AA) of lapis lazuli,^(AB) and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.^{(AC) 27} I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.^(AD)

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne^(A) of lapis lazuli^(B) above the vault^(C) that was over the heads of the cherubim.^{(D) 2} The Lord said to the man clothed in linen,^(E) “Go in among the wheels^(F) beneath the cherubim. Fill^(G) your hands with burning coals^(H) from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

³ Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord^(I) rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. ⁵ The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice^(J) of God Almighty^[a] when he speaks.^(K)

⁶ When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels,^(L) from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire^(M) that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)^(N)

⁹ I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz.^{(O) 10} As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. ¹¹ As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about^[b] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. ¹² Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes,^(P) as were their four wheels.^{(Q) 13} I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.”