Eze 10 | HCSB | STEP | Then I looked , and there above the expanse over the heads of the cherubim was something like sapphire stone resembling the shape of a throne that appeared above them.

Ezekiel 10

God’s Glory Leaves the Temple

1 Then I looked, and there above the expanse over the heads ^a of the ^{▼▼cherubim: A class of winged angels, associated with the throne of God, who function as guardians and who prevented Adam and Eve from returning to the garden of Eden}cherubim was something like sapphire ^{▼▼Or lapis lazuli} stone resembling the shape of a throne that appeared above them. 2 The Lord spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with hot coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” ^d So he went in as I watched.

3 Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud ^e filled the inner court. ^f 4 Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the temple. ^g The temple was filled with the cloud, ^h and the court was filled with the brightness of the Lord’s glory. ⁱ 5 The sound of the cherubim’s wings could be heard as far as the outer court; it was like the voice of ^{▼▼God Almighty: The Hebrew word is El Shaddai; El = "God," but the meaning of Shaddai is disputed; traditionally it is translated "Almighty".}God Almighty when He speaks.

6 After the Lord commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from inside the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then the cherub reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took some, 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 human hands under their wings. ^k

9 I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim, ^l one wheel beside each cherub. The luster of the wheels was like the gleam of beryl. ^m 10 In appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel. 11 When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions, ⁿ without pivoting as they moved. But wherever the head faced, they would go in that direction, ^{▼▼Lit go after it} without pivoting as they went. 12 Their entire bodies, ^p including their backs, hands, wings, and the wheels that the four of them had, were full of eyes all around. ^q 13 As I listened the wheels were called “the wheelwork.” 14 Each one had four faces: ^r the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

15 The cherubim ascended; these were the living creatures I had seen by the Chebar Canal. ^s 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when they lifted their wings to rise from the earth, even then the wheels did not veer away from them. 17 When the cherubim stood still, ^t the wheels stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

18 Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple ^u and stood above the cherubim. ^v 19 The cherubim lifted their wings and ascended from the earth right before my eyes; ^w the wheels were beside them as they went. The glory of the God of Israel was above them, and it stood at the entrance to the eastern gate of the Lord’s house.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen ^x beneath the God of Israel by the Chebar Canal, ^y and I recognized that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces and each had four wings, ^z with the form of human hands under their wings. 22 Their faces looked like the same faces I had seen ^aa by the Chebar Canal. Each creature went straight ahead.