< Ezechiele 1 >

1 Il cinque del quarto mese dell'anno trentesimo, mentre mi trovavo fra i deportati sulle rive del canale Chebàr, i cieli si aprirono ed ebbi visioni divine.
Now in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was amongst the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 Il cinque del mese - era l'anno quinto della deportazione del re Ioiachìn -
In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3 la parola del Signore fu rivolta al sacerdote Ezechiele figlio di Buzì, nel paese dei Caldei, lungo il canale Chebàr. Qui fu sopra di lui la mano del Signore.
the LORD’s word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the LORD’s hand was there on him.
4 Io guardavo ed ecco un uragano avanzare dal settentrione, una grande nube e un turbinìo di fuoco, che splendeva tutto intorno, e in mezzo si scorgeva come un balenare di elettro incandescente.
I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of the middle of it as it were glowing metal, out of the middle of the fire.
5 Al centro apparve la figura di quattro esseri animati, dei quali questo era l'aspetto: avevano sembianza umana
Out of its centre came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man.
6 e avevano ciascuno quattro facce e quattro ali.
Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.
7 Le loro gambe erano diritte e gli zoccoli dei loro piedi erano come gli zoccoli dei piedi d'un vitello, splendenti come lucido bronzo.
Their feet were straight feet. The sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.
8 Sotto le ali, ai quattro lati, avevano mani d'uomo; tutti e quattro avevano le medesime sembianze e le proprie ali,
They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. The four of them had their faces and their wings like this:
9 e queste ali erano unite l'una all'altra. Mentre avanzavano, non si volgevano indietro, ma ciascuno andava diritto avanti a sé.
Their wings were joined to one another. They didn’t turn when they went. Each one went straight forward.
10 Quanto alle loro fattezze, ognuno dei quattro aveva fattezze d'uomo; poi fattezze di leone a destra, fattezze di toro a sinistra e, ognuno dei quattro, fattezze d'aquila.
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them had the face of an ox on the left side. The four of them also had the face of an eagle.
11 Le loro ali erano spiegate verso l'alto; ciascuno aveva due ali che si toccavano e due che coprivano il corpo.
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.
12 Ciascuno si muoveva davanti a sé; andavano là dove lo spirito li dirigeva e, muovendosi, non si voltavano indietro.
Each one went straight forward. Where the spirit was to go, they went. They didn’t turn when they went.
13 Tra quegli esseri si vedevano come carboni ardenti simili a torce che si muovevano in mezzo a loro. Il fuoco risplendeva e dal fuoco si sprigionavano bagliori.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. The fire went up and down amongst the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire.
14 Gli esseri andavano e venivano come un baleno.
The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Io guardavo quegli esseri ed ecco sul terreno una ruota al loro fianco, di tutti e quattro.
Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.
16 Le ruote avevano l'aspetto e la struttura come di topazio e tutt'e quattro la medesima forma, il loro aspetto e la loro struttura era come di ruota in mezzo a un'altra ruota.
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl. The four of them had one likeness. Their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.
17 Potevano muoversi in quattro direzioni, senza aver bisogno di voltare nel muoversi.
When they went, they went in their four directions. They didn’t turn when they went.
18 La loro circonferenza era assai grande e i cerchi di tutt'e quattro erano pieni di occhi tutt'intorno.
As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.
19 Quando quegli esseri viventi si muovevano, anche le ruote si muovevano accanto a loro e, quando gli esseri si alzavano da terra, anche le ruote si alzavano.
When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Dovunque lo spirito le avesse spinte, le ruote andavano e ugualmente si alzavano, perché lo spirito dell'essere vivente era nelle ruote.
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went. The spirit was to go there. The wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21 Quando essi si muovevano, esse si muovevano; quando essi si fermavano, esse si fermavano e, quando essi si alzavano da terra, anche le ruote ugualmente si alzavano, perché lo spirito dell'essere vivente era nelle ruote.
When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood. When those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 Al di sopra delle teste degli esseri viventi vi era una specie di firmamento, simile ad un cristallo splendente, disteso sopra le loro teste,
Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like an awesome crystal to look at, stretched out over their heads above.
23 e sotto il firmamento vi erano le loro ali distese, l'una di contro all'altra; ciascuno ne aveva due che gli coprivano il corpo.
Under the expanse, their wings were straight, one towards the other. Each one had two which covered on this side, and each one had two which covered their bodies on that side.
24 Quando essi si muovevano, io udivo il rombo delle ali, simile al rumore di grandi acque, come il tuono dell'Onnipotente, come il fragore della tempesta, come il tumulto d'un accampamento. Quando poi si fermavano, ripiegavano le ali.
When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.
25 Ci fu un rumore al di sopra del firmamento che era sulle loro teste.
There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings.
26 Sopra il firmamento che era sulle loro teste apparve come una pietra di zaffiro in forma di trono e su questa specie di trono, in alto, una figura dalle sembianze umane.
Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.
27 Da ciò che sembrava essere dai fianchi in su, mi apparve splendido come l'elettro e da ciò che sembrava dai fianchi in giù, mi apparve come di fuoco. Era circondato da uno splendore
I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.
28 il cui aspetto era simile a quello dell'arcobaleno nelle nubi in un giorno di pioggia. Tale mi apparve l'aspetto della gloria del Signore. Quando la vidi, caddi con la faccia a terra e udii la voce di uno che parlava.
As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the LORD’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.

< Ezechiele 1 >