Hesekiel 10 | New International Reader’s Version

The glory of the Lord moves out of the temple

1 I looked up and saw something that appeared to be a throne made out of lapis lazuli. It was above the huge space that was spread out over the heads of the cherubim. 2 The LORD spoke to the man who was wearing linen clothes. He said, ‘Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from the fire that is among the cherubim. Scatter the coals over the city.’ As I watched, he went in. 3 The cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in. A cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4 Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim. It moved to the doorway of the temple. The cloud filled the temple. And the courtyard was full of the brightness of the glory of the LORD. 5 The sound the wings of the cherubim made could be heard as far away as the outer courtyard. It was like the voice of the Mighty God when he speaks. 6 The LORD gave a command to the man who was dressed in linen clothes. He said, ‘Get some coals of fire from among the wheels. Take them from among the cherubim.’ So the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand. He picked up some of the burning coals that were among the wheels. He handed them to the man who was wearing linen clothes. The man took them and left. 8 I saw what looked like human hands. They were under the wings of the cherubim. 9 I looked up and saw four wheels beside the cherubim. One wheel was beside each of them. The wheels gleamed like topaz. 10 All four of them looked alike. Each wheel appeared to be inside another wheel at right angles. 11 The wheels could go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced. The wheels didn’t change their direction as the cherubim moved. The cherubim went in the direction their heads faced. They didn’t change their direction as they moved. 12 Their whole bodies were completely covered with eyes. That included their backs, hands and wings. Their four wheels were covered with eyes too. 13 I heard someone tell the wheels to start spinning around. 14 Each of the cherubim had four faces. One face was the face of a cherub. The second was the face of a human being. The third was the face of a lion. And the fourth was an eagle’s face. 15 The cherubim rose from the ground. They were the same living creatures I had seen by the River Kebar. 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved. The cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground. As they did, the wheels didn’t leave their side. 17 When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still. When the cherubim rose, the wheels rose along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels. 18 Then the glory of the LORD moved away from the doorway of the temple. It stopped above the cherubim. 19 While I watched, they spread their wings. They rose from the ground. As they went, the wheels went along with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD’s house. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 20 These were the same living creatures I had seen by the River Kebar. I had seen them beneath the God of Israel. I realised that they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and four wings. Under their wings was what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces looked the same as the ones I had seen by the River Kebar. Each of the cherubim went straight ahead.

English Standard Version

The Glory of the Lord Leaves the Temple

1 Then I looked, and behold, on the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire,* in appearance like a throne. 2 And he said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in before my eyes. 3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. 4 And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord. 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks. 6 And when he commanded the man clothed in linen, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 And a cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings. 9 And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling beryl. 10 And as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel. 11 When they went, they went in any of their four directions* without turning as they went, but in whatever direction the front wheel* faced, the others followed without turning as they went. 12 And their whole body, their rims, and their spokes, their wings,* and the wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels that the four of them had. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing “the whirling wheels.” 14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal. 16 And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them. And when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them. 17 When they stood still, these stood still, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them, for the spirit of the living creatures* was in them. 18 Then the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 20 These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces, and each four wings, and underneath their wings the likeness of human hands. 22 And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the Chebar canal. Each one of them went straight forward.

Hesekiel 10 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

The glory of the Lord moves out of the temple

The Glory of the Lord Leaves the Temple