Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God.

Et factum est in trigesimo anno, in quarto, in quinta mensis, cum essem in medio captivorum juxta fluvium Chobar, aperti sunt cæli, et vidi visiones Dei.

Thirty years had passed; it was the fifth day of the fourth month, and I was sharing the lot of the exiles by the river Chobar, when heaven opened, and I saw a vision of God.

On the fifth day of the month, the same was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joachin,

In quinta mensis, ipse est annus quintus transmigrationis regis Joachin,

The fifth day of the month, and the fifth year since king Joachin was banished.

The word of the Lord came to Ezechiel the priest the son of Buzi in the land of the Chadeans, by the river Chobar: and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.

factum est verbum Domini ad Ezechielem filium Buzi sacerdotem, in terra Chaldæorum, secus flumen Chobar: et facta est super eum ibi manus Domini.

To the priest Ezechiel, son of Buzi, the divine word came; there in the Chaldaean land, by the river Chobar, the power of the Lord could reach him.

And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud,and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber:

Et vidi, et ecce ventus turbinis veniebat ab aquilone, et nubes magna, et ignis involvens, et splendor in circuitu ejus: et de medio ejus, quasi species electri, id est, de medio ignis:

I looked round me, to find that a storm-wind had sprung up from the north, driving a great cloud before it; and this cloud had fire caught up in it, that fringed it with radiance. And there in the heart of it, in the very heart of the fire, was a glow like amber,

And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them.

et in medio ejus similitudo quatuor animalium. Et hic aspectus eorum, similitudo hominis in eis.

that enclosed four living figures. These were human in appearance,

Every one had four faces, and every one four wings.

Quatuor facies uni, et quatuor pennæ uni.

but each had four faces, and two pairs of wings.

Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of a calf’s foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing brass.

Pedes eorum, pedes recti, et planta pedis eorum quasi planta pedis vituli: et scintillæ quasi aspectus æris candentis.

Either leg was straight-formed, yet ended in a calf’s hoof; they sparkled like red-hot bronze.

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they had faces, and wings on the four sides,

Et manus hominis sub pennis eorum, in quatuor partibus: et facies et pennas per quatuor partes habebant.

On each of the four sides, human arms shewed beneath the wings; faces and wings looked outwards four ways.

And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward.

Junctæque erant pennæ eorum alterius ad alterum: non revertebantur cum incederent, sed unumquodque ante faciem suam gradiebatur.

Wings of each were held touching wings of other; and when they moved, they did not turn round, but each kept an onward course.

And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four.

Similitudo autem vultus eorum, facies hominis et facies leonis a dextris ipsorum quatuor, facies autem bovis a sinistris ipsorum quatuor, et facies aquilæ desuper ipsorum quatuor.

As for the appearance of their faces, each had the face of a man, yet each of the four looked like a lion when seen from the right, like an ox when seen from the left, like an eagle when seen from above.

And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies:

Facies eorum et pennæ eorum extentæ desuper: duæ pennæ singulorum jungebantur, et duæ tegebant corpora eorum.

So much for their faces; each had two wings spread out above him, those two which met his neighbours’ wings; with the other two he veiled his body.

And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went.

Et unumquodque eorum coram facie sua ambulabat: ubi erat impetus spiritus, illuc gradiebantur, nec revertebantur cum ambularent.

Each of them marched straight forward, following the movement of a divine impulse, never swerving as he marched.

And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire.

Et similitudo animalium, aspectus eorum quasi carbonum ignis ardentium, et quasi aspectus lampadarum: hæc erat visio discurrens in medio animalium, splendor ignis, et de igne fulgur egrediens.

There was that, too, in the appearance of the living figures which put me in mind of flaming coals, or of torches; that was what I saw going to and fro in the midst of the living figures, a glow as of fire, and from this glow lightning came out.

And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.

Et animalia ibant et revertebantur, in similitudinem fulguris coruscantis.

So the living creatures came and went, vivid as lightning-flashes.

Now as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared upon the earth by the living creatures one wheel with four faces.

Cumque aspicerem animalia, apparuit rota una super terram juxta animalia, habens quatuor facies.

And as I watched the living figures, all at once wheels appeared close to them, one at each of the four sides,

And the appearance of the wheels, and the work of them was like the appearance of the sea: and the four had all one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel.

Et aspectus rotarum et opus earum quasi visio maris: et una similitudo ipsarum quatuor: et aspectus earum et opera quasi sit rota in medio rotæ.

of strange colour and form. All four were alike, the colour of aquamarine, and each looked like a wheel within a wheel.

When they went, they went by their four parts: and they turned not when they went.

Per quatuor partes earum euntes ibant, et non revertebantur cum ambularent.

Moved they, it was ever one of the four ways the living figures looked; and they did not turn round in moving.

The wheels had also a size, and a height, and a dreadful appearance: and the whole body was full of eyes round about all the four.

Statura quoque erat rotis, et altitudo, et horribilis aspectus: et totum corpus oculis plenum in circuitu ipsarum quatuor.

As for their size, their height was terrible to look upon; and the whole frame of them, all round, was full of eyes.

And when the living creatures went, the wheels also went together by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up with them.

Cumque ambularent animalia, ambulabant pariter et rotæ juxta ea: et cum elevarentur animalia de terra, elevabantur simul et rotæ.

Onward the wheels moved, when the living figures moved onward, at their side; rose above the earth when the living figures rose above it.

Withersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal, and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

Quocumque ibat spiritus, illuc, eunte spiritu, et rotæ pariter elevabantur sequentes eum: spiritus enim vitæ erat in rotis.

They too had a living impulse in them, they too, whenever that impulse stirred them, must rise up and follow the way it went;

When those went these went, and when those stood these stood, and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up together, and followed them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

Cum euntibus ibant, et cum stantibus stabant: et cum elevatis a terra, pariter elevabantur et rotæ sequentes ea, quia spiritus vitæ erat in rotis.

with the living figures, whose vital impulse they shared, the wheels too moved, and halted, and rose.

And over the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of the firmament, as the appearance of crystal terrible to behold, and stretched out over their heads above.

Et similitudo super capita animalium firmamenti, quasi aspectus crystalli horribilis, et extenti super capita eorum desuper.

Over the living figures a vault seemed to rise, like a sheet of dazzling crystal resting on their heads;

And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other, every one with two wings covered his body, and the other was covered in like manner.

Sub firmamento autem pennæ eorum rectæ alterius ad alterum: unumquodque duabus alis velabat corpus suum, et alterum similiter velabatur.

under this vault each held two wings erect to meet his neighbour’s. Each had two turned upwards to overshadow him, and two turned downwards to veil his body.

And I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as it were the voice of the most high God: when they walked, it was like the voice of a multitude, like the noise of an army, and when they stood, their wings were let down.

Et audiebam sonum alarum, quasi sonum aquarum multarum, quasi sonum sublimis Dei: cum ambularent, quasi sonus erat multitudinis ut sonus castrorum: cumque starent, demittebantur pennæ eorum.

When they moved, the sound of their wings reached me, loud as waters in flood or thunders from on high, incessant as the hum of a great throng or an armed camp; only when they came to rest did they lower their wings.

For when a voice came from above the firmament, that was over their heads, they stood, and let down their wings.

Nam cum fieret vox super firmamentum quod erat super caput eorum, stabant, et submittebant alas suas.

A voice would come from the firmament over their heads; then they would halt, then they would lower their wings.

And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of the sapphire stone, and upon the likeness of the throne, was a likeness as of the appearance of a man above upon it.

Et super firmamentum quod erat imminens capiti eorum, quasi aspectus lapidis sapphiri similitudo throni: et super similitudinem throni similitudo quasi aspectus hominis desuper.

Above this vault that rested on them, sapphire blue towered up into the form of a throne, nor did that throne seem to be empty; a shape was there above it, as of one enthroned,

And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber as the appearance of fire within it round about: from his loins and upward, and from his loins downward, I saw as it were the resemblance of fire shining round about.

Et vidi quasi speciem electri, velut aspectum ignis, intrinsecus ejus per circuitum: a lumbis ejus et desuper, et a lumbis ejus usque deorsum, vidi quasi speciem ignis splendentis in circuitu,

and all about him it was filled with amber-coloured flame. Upwards from his loins, downwards from his loins, an arch of light seemed to shine,

As the appearance of the rainbow when it is in a cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the brightness round about.

velut aspectum arcus cum fuerit in nube in die pluviæ. Hic erat aspectus splendoris per gyrum.

like rainbow among the clouds on a day of storm; there was brightness all about him.