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Visão dos seres vivos

Em 31 de julho[a] de meu trigésimo ano,[b] enquanto eu estava com os exilados judeus junto ao rio Quebar, na Babilônia, os céus se abriram e tive visões de Deus. Isso aconteceu no quinto ano do exílio do rei Joaquim. (O Senhor deu essa mensagem ao sacerdote Ezequiel, filho de Buzi, junto ao rio Quebar, na terra dos babilônios,[c] e a mão do Senhor estava sobre ele.)

Quando olhei, vi uma grande tempestade que vinha do norte. Uma nuvem faiscava com relâmpagos e brilhava com luz intensa. Dentro da nuvem havia fogo e, no meio do fogo, resplandecia algo semelhante a âmbar reluzente.[d] Do centro da nuvem surgiram quatro seres vivos de aparência humana, porém cada um tinha quatro rostos e quatro asas. Suas pernas eram retas, e seus pés tinham cascos como os de bezerro e brilhavam como bronze polido. Debaixo de cada uma das quatro asas, vi mãos humanas. Assim, cada um dos quatro seres tinha quatro rostos e quatro asas. As asas de cada um dos seres tocavam as asas dos seres ao seu lado. Cada um se movia para a frente, sem se virar.

10 Cada um dos quatro seres tinha rosto humano na frente, rosto de leão à direita, rosto de boi à esquerda e rosto de águia atrás. 11 Cada um tinha dois pares de asas estendidas: com um par tocava as asas dos seres de cada lado e com o outro par cobria o corpo. 12 Deslocavam-se em qualquer direção que o espírito indicava e moviam-se para a frente, sem se virar.

13 Os seres vivos eram semelhantes a brasas acesas ou tochas reluzentes, e relâmpagos pareciam faiscar entre eles. 14 Os seres vivos se deslocavam de um lado para o outro rapidamente, como relâmpagos.

15 Enquanto eu olhava para esses seres, vi quatro rodas que tocavam o chão junto a eles, uma roda para cada um. 16 As rodas brilhavam, como se fossem feitas de berilo. As quatro rodas eram semelhantes e feitas da mesma forma; cada uma tinha dentro dela outra roda que girava na transversal. 17 Os seres podiam se deslocar em qualquer uma das quatro direções, sem se virar enquanto se moviam. 18 Os aros das rodas eram altos e assustadores, cobertos de olhos em todo o redor.

19 Quando os seres vivos se moviam, as rodas se moviam com eles. Quando eles voavam para cima, as rodas também subiam. 20 O espírito dos seres vivos estava nas rodas; aonde quer que o espírito fosse, as rodas e os seres vivos o acompanhavam. 21 Quando os seres se moviam, as rodas também se moviam. Quando os seres paravam, as rodas também paravam. Quando os seres voavam para cima, as rodas também subiam, pois o espírito dos seres vivos estava nas rodas.

22 Acima deles estendia-se uma superfície como o céu, brilhante como cristal. 23 Abaixo dessa superfície as asas de cada ser vivo se estendiam de modo a tocar as asas dos outros, e as outras duas asas cobriam seu corpo. 24 Quando voavam, o estrondo de suas asas soava para mim como ondas do mar quebrando na praia, como a voz do Todo-poderoso,[e] ou como os gritos de um grande exército. Quando os seres pararam, abaixaram as asas. 25 Enquanto estavam com as asas abaixadas, uma voz falou de além da superfície acima deles.

26 Acima dessa superfície havia algo parecido com um trono de safira. No trono, bem no alto, havia uma figura semelhante a um homem. 27 Da cintura para cima, tinha a aparência de âmbar reluzente que cintilava como o fogo, e, da cintura para baixo, parecia uma chama ardente que brilhava com esplendor. 28 Estava rodeado por um aro luminoso, como arco-íris que resplandece entre as nuvens num dia de chuva. Essa era a aparência da glória do Senhor para mim. Quando a vi, prostrei-me com o rosto no chão e ouvi a voz de alguém que falava comigo.

Footnotes

  1. 1.1a Em hebraico, No quinto dia do quarto mês, do antigo calendário lunar hebraico. Várias datas em Ezequiel podem ser comparadas com datas de registros babilônios que sobreviveram ao tempo e relacionadas com precisão ao calendário moderno. O ano foi 593 a.C.
  2. 1.1b Ou no trigésimo ano.
  3. 1.3 Ou caldeus.
  4. 1.4 Ou metal polido; também em 1.27.
  5. 1.24 Em hebraico, Shaddai.

Ezekiel in Babylon

(A)In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by (B)the Chebar canal, (C)the heavens were opened, and I saw (D)visions of God.[a] On the fifth day of the month (it was (E)the fifth year of (F)the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel (G)the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by (H)the Chebar canal, and (I)the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

The Glory of the Lord

As I looked, behold, (J)a stormy wind came (K)out of the north, and a great cloud, with (L)brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, (M)as it were gleaming metal.[b] And from the midst of it came the likeness of (N)four living creatures. (O)And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, (P)but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled (Q)like burnished bronze. Under their wings (R)on their four sides (S)they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another. (T)Each one of them went straight forward, (U)without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, (V)each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while (W)two covered their bodies. 12 (X)And each went straight forward. (Y)Wherever the spirit[c] would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was (Z)like burning coals of fire, (AA)like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. (AB)And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures (AC)darted to and fro, (AD)like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15 (AE)Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.[d] 16 (AF)As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like (AG)the gleaming of beryl. (AH)And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 (AI)When they went, they went (AJ)in any of their four directions[e] (AK)without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, (AL)and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 (AM)And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; (AN)and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 (AO)Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, (AP)for the spirit of the living creatures[f] was in the wheels. 21 (AQ)When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; (AR)and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, (AS)for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was (AT)the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring (AU)crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were (AV)stretched out straight, one toward another. (AW)And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings (AX)like the sound of many waters, like (AY)the sound of the (AZ)Almighty, a sound of tumult (BA)like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above (BB)the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

26 And above the expanse over their heads there was (BC)the likeness of a throne, (BD)in appearance (BE)like sapphire;[g] and seated above the likeness of a throne was (BF)a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And (BG)upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were (BH)gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and (BI)there was brightness around him.[h] 28 Like the appearance of (BJ)the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of (BK)the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, (BL)I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 1:1 Or from God
  2. Ezekiel 1:4 Or amber; also verse 27
  3. Ezekiel 1:12 Or Spirit; also twice in verse 20 and once in verse 21
  4. Ezekiel 1:15 Hebrew of their faces
  5. Ezekiel 1:17 Hebrew on their four sides
  6. Ezekiel 1:20 Or the spirit of life; also verse 21
  7. Ezekiel 1:26 Or lapis lazuli
  8. Ezekiel 1:27 Or it