Ezekiel 10

Fire from among the cherubim

1I looked: above the expanse over the cherubim’s heads appeared something like sapphire, resembling the likeness of a throne. 2He told the man dressed in linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels beneath the cherub. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” He went in as I watched. 3The cherubim stood on the right side of the house when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4The glory of the LORD rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the house. The cloud filled the house, and the brightness of the LORD’s glory filled the court. 5The sound of the cherubim’s wings could be heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks. 6When he commanded the man dressed in linen, “Take fire from among the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7A cherub reached out from among the cherubim toward the fire between them, took some, and placed it in the hands of the man dressed in linen. He took it and went out. 8Beneath the cherubim’s wings there appeared the form of human hands.

Wheels and living creatures

9I looked and saw four wheels beside the cherubim: one wheel beside one cherub, another beside another. The wheels gleamed like beryl. 10All four had the same likeness, as though one wheel were set within another. 11When they moved, they went in any of their four directions without turning. They followed wherever the head faced, without turning as they went. 12Their whole bodies, their backs, hands, wings, and wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels belonging to all four. 13I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” 14Each had four faces: the first was a cherub’s face, the second a human face, the third a lion’s face, and the fourth an eagle’s face. 15The cherubim rose. These were the living creatures I had seen beside the Kebar River. 16When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the cherubim lifted their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not turn away from their side. 17When the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; when the creatures rose, the wheels rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

The glory at the east gate

18Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the house and stood above the cherubim. 19As I watched, the cherubim lifted their wings and rose from the ground, with the wheels beside them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD’s house, with the glory of the God of Israel above them. 20These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel beside the Kebar River. I now knew they were cherubim. 21Each had four faces and four wings, with the likeness of human hands beneath its wings. 22Their faces were the same faces I had seen beside the Kebar River—the same appearance, the same creatures. Each went straight ahead.