< Hezekiel 1 >

1 Le ƒe blaetɔ̃lia ƒe ɣleti enelia me, le ŋkeke atɔ̃lia gbe, esi menɔ aboyomenɔlawo dome le Kebar Tɔsisi la to la, dziƒowo nu ʋu, eye mekpɔ ŋutega tso Mawu ŋu.
On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I was with the other exiles by the River Kebar. The heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
2 Le ɣleti la ƒe ŋkeke atɔ̃lia gbe, esi woɖe aboyo Fia Yehoyatsin la,
(On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
3 Yehowa ƒe gbe va na nunɔla Hezekiel, Buzi ƒe vi, le Kebar Tɔsisi la to, le Babilonianyigba dzi. Yehowa ƒe asi va edzi le afi ma.
a message from Lord was given to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of Babylonia by the River Kebar. There Lord's power came over him.)
4 Melé ŋku ɖe nuwo ŋu, eye mekpɔ ahomya gbɔna tso anyiehe kple lilikpo gã aɖe si le dzo kem, eye keklẽ gã aɖe ƒo xlãe. Dzo la titina ɖi ga si le keklẽm,
I looked up and saw a windstorm racing in from the north, a tremendous cloud with fire flashing like lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The middle of the fire looked like glowing metal
5 eye nu siwo le dzo la me la le abe nu gbagbewo ene. Woƒe dzedzeme le abe amegbetɔ tɔ ene,
and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
6 ke mo ene kple aʋala ene nɔ ɖe sia ɖe si.
but they each had four faces and four wings.
7 Woƒe afɔwo dzɔ; woƒe afɔwo le abe nyivi tɔwo ene, eye wole dzo dam abe ayawagba si ŋu woƒã la ene.
They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
8 Amegbetɔ ƒe asi nɔ woƒe aʋalawo te le woƒe axa eneawo dzi. Wo ame eneawo katã to mowo kple aʋalawo,
They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
9 eye woƒe aʋalawo ka wo nɔewo ŋuti. Wo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe yia ŋgɔ tẽe; wometrɔa kɔ ne wole yiyim o.
and each of their wings touched the wings of the one next to it. As they moved they didn't turn—they all moved straight in one direction.
10 Woƒe mowo dzena ale: amegbetɔ ƒe mo li na wo ame eneawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe; dzata ƒe mo le ɖusime, nyitsu ƒe mo le miame, eye hɔ̃ ƒe mo li na ɖe sia ɖe.
This what their faces looked like. They had a human face to the front, a lion's face to the right, a bull's face to the left, and lastly an eagle's face.
11 Nenemae woƒe mowo le. Woke woƒe aʋalawo me do ɖe dzi. Ɖe sia ɖe ƒe aʋala eve tɔ wo nɔviwo tɔwo le akpa eveawo dzi, eye ɖe sia ɖe tsyɔ aʋala eve.
These were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. They all had two wings that touched the wings of the one beside it, as well as two wings that covered its body.
12 Wo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe yia ŋgɔ tẽe. Woyia afi sia afi si gbɔgbɔ la yina la, eye wometrɔna yia teƒe bubu aɖeke o.
Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
13 Nu gbagbeawo ƒe dzedzeme nɔ abe dzoka xɔxɔ alo akakati bibi ene. Dzo la ʋãna yia megbe kple ŋgɔgbe le nu gbagbeawo dome. Dzo la klẽna, eye dzikedzo dona tso eme.
These beings looked like bright burning coals or torches. Blazing fire moved to and fro between the beings, and lightning flashed out from the fire.
14 Nu gbagbeawo nɔa du dzi, yia megbe, yia ŋgɔgbe abe dzikedzo ene.
The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
15 Esi melé ŋku ɖe nu gbagbeawo ŋu la, mekpɔ tasiaɖam ƒe afɔ ɖeka le anyigba le nu gbagbe ene siwo si mo le la dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe gbɔ.
As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
16 Tasiaɖam ƒe afɔawo ƒe dzedzeme kple ale si wowɔ woe la le ale: woklẽna abe adzagba ene, eye wo ame eneawo katã ɖi wo nɔewo. Ɖe sia ɖe dze abe ɖe wowɔe be wòade nu nɔvia me ene.
The wheels looked like they were made of topaz, and all four wheels were the same. In the middle of each wheel was what looked like another wheel set crossways.
17 Ne woɖe zɔ la, woyia teƒe eneawo dometɔ ɖeka si nu gbagbeawo trɔ mo ɖo. Ne nu gbagbeawo le yiyim la, tasiaɖam la ƒe afɔawo metrɔna le wo ŋu o.
They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
18 Tasiaɖam ƒe afɔawo dzi ŋɔ, eye ŋkuwo le afɔ eneawo katã ŋu kpe ɖo.
The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
19 Ne nu gbagbeawo ɖe zɔ la, tasiaɖam ƒe afɔ siwo le wo xa la hã ɖea zɔ, eye ne nu gbagbeawo kɔ wo ɖokuiwo dzi tso anyigba la, afɔawo hã kɔa wo ɖokuiwo dzi.
As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
20 Afi sia afi si gbɔgbɔ la ayi la, woawo hã yina, afɔawo hã kɔa wo ɖokuiwo dzi yina, elabena nu gbagbeawo ƒe gbɔgbɔ le afɔawo hã me.
They would go wherever the Spirit went. The wheels would lift up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
21 Ne nu gbagbeawo ɖe zɔ la, woawo hã ɖea zɔ; ne nu gbagbeawo tɔ la, woawo hã tɔna, eye ne nu gbagbeawo kɔ wo ɖokuiwo dzi tso anyigba la, tasiaɖam ƒe afɔawo hã kɔa wo ɖokuiwo dzi tso anyigba abe nu gbagbeawo ene, elabena nu gbagbeawo ƒe gbɔgbɔ nɔ tasiaɖam ƒe afɔawo me.
When the beings moved, the wheels moved; when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they flew up from the ground, the wheels flew up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
22 Nane si ɖi tsikpe, keke, le keklẽm, eye wòdzi ŋɔ la, keke ɖe nu gbagbeawo tame.
Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
23 Nu gbagbeawo keke aʋala ɖekaɖeka do ɖe wo nɔewo gbɔ, eye ɖe sia ɖe tsyɔ aʋala eve na eɖokui.
Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.
24 Esi nu gbagbeawo ɖe zɔ la, mese gbeɖiɖi aɖe tso woƒe aʋalawo me abe tɔsisiwo ƒe ɖiɖi ene, abe Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la ƒe gbe ene, abe aʋakɔ aɖe ƒe ʋunyaʋunyawɔwɔ ene. Ne nu gbagbeawo tɔ ɖe teƒe ɖeka la, woɖiɖia woƒe aʋalawo.
When the beings moved, I heard the sound their wings made. It was like the roar of a thundering waterfall, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army on the march. Whenever they stopped, they folded their wings.
25 Gbe aɖe ɖi tso nu si xe tame na wo la tame esi wotɔ heɖiɖi woƒe aʋalawo.
A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
26 Nane si ɖi fiazikpui si wowɔ kple kpe xɔasi ene la le nu si xe woƒe tame la tame, eye nane si ɖi ame la nɔ fiazikpui la dzi le yame ʋĩi.
Above the expanse over their heads I saw what looked like a throne made of lapis lazuli. Sitting on the throne high above was a being who looked like a man.
27 Mekpɔ be nu si dze abe eƒe ali gbɔ ene, yi eƒe dzime la, le abe ga si le keklẽm ene. Tso afi ma yi anyigba la, le abe dzo ene, eye keklẽ gã aɖe ƒo xlãe.
From what seemed to be his waist upwards, he looked like glowing metal with fire inside and everywhere around. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, I saw what looked like fire. He was surrounded by very bright light.
28 Ale si anyieʋɔ dzena le lilikpowo me ne tsi dza la, nenema keklẽ la nɔ ƒo xlãe. Esia dze abe Yehowa ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe ene. Esi mekpɔe la, medze anyi, tsyɔ mo anyi, eye mese ame aɖe ƒe gbe.
The bright light surrounding him was like a rainbow shining through the clouds on a rainy day. This was what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell facedown on the ground, and then I heard someone speaking to me.

< Hezekiel 1 >