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10 At that moment I saw a form of a throne in the dome above the heads of the winged creatures. It appeared above them, and it looked like lapis lazuli. He said to the man clothed in linen: Go in between the wheels under the winged creatures.[a] Fill your hands with fiery coals from between the winged creatures, and scatter them over the city. As I watched, he went in. Now the winged creatures were standing to the right of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner courtyard. Then the Lord’s glory rose from above the winged creatures[b] and moved toward the temple’s threshold. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the Lord’s glory. The sound of the winged creatures’ wings could be heard as far as the outer courtyard. It was like the sound of God Almighty[c] when he speaks. When he instructed the man clothed in linen to take fire from between the winged creatures and their wheels, the man went and stood next to the wheel. Then one of the winged creatures stretched a hand between the winged creatures into the fire that was between them, and he drew out some of it and set it in the palm of the one clothed in linen. He took it and went out. It appeared that the winged creatures had the form of a human hand under their wings.

Suddenly, I saw four wheels next to the winged creatures. There was a wheel next to each winged creature, and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling topaz. 10 It appeared that there was one shape for all four of them, as if one wheel were inside another. 11 When they moved in any of the four directions, they moved without swerving. Whichever way the leading one faced, they moved in that direction without swerving. 12 Their whole body—backs, hands, and wings—as well as their wheels, all four of them, were covered with eyes all around. 13 It was these wheels that were called “the wheels” in my hearing. 14 Each winged creature had four faces. The first face was that of a winged creature, the second face was that of a human being, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle. 15 The winged creatures rose up, the same creatures that I had seen at the Chebar River. 16 When the winged creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the winged creatures lifted their wings to ascend above the earth, the wheels remained beside them without swerving. 17 When they stood still, the wheels stood still; when they rose up, they rose up with them, because the spirit[d] of the living creatures was in them. 18 Then the Lord’s glory went out from above the temple’s threshold and it stood over the winged creatures. 19 While I watched, the winged creatures raised their wings and rose from the ground to leave, with their wheels beside them. They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the temple, and the glory of Israel’s God was up above them. 20 These were the same living creatures that I saw underneath Israel’s God at the Chebar River, and I realized that they were winged creatures. 21 Each had four faces and four wings, with the form of a human hand under their wings. 22 The forms of their faces were the same faces that I saw at the Chebar River. Their appearance was also the same. All four of them moved straight ahead.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 10:2 LXX; MT creature
  2. Ezekiel 10:4 LXX; MT creature
  3. Ezekiel 10:5 Heb El Shaddai or God of the Mountain
  4. Ezekiel 10:17 Or wind

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) 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.

Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. 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. 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)

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. 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. (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)(N)

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.” 14 Each of the cherubim(R) had four faces:(S) One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion,(T) and the fourth the face of an eagle.(U)

15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures(V) I had seen by the Kebar River.(W) 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. 17 When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.(X)

18 Then the glory(Y) of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.(Z) 19 While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.(AA) They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory(AB) of the God of Israel was above them.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River,(AC) and I realized that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces(AD) and four wings,(AE) and under their wings was what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River.(AF) Each one went straight ahead.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 10:5 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Ezekiel 10:11 Or aside