The Message Bible MSG
The Latin Vulgate VUL
1 When I was thirty years of age, I was living with the exiles on the Kebar River. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the sky opened up and I saw visions of God.
1
et factum est in tricesimo anno in quarto mense in quinta mensis cum essem in medio captivorum iuxta fluvium Chobar aperti sunt caeli et vidi visiones Dei
2 (It was the fifth day of the month in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin
2
in quinta mensis ipse est annus quintus transmigrationis regis Ioachin
3 that God's Word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, on the banks of the Kebar River in the country of Babylon. God's hand came upon him that day.)
3
factum est verbum Domini ad Hiezecihel filium Buzi sacerdotem in terra Chaldeorum secus flumen Chobar et facta est super eum ibi manus Domini
4 I looked: I saw an immense dust storm come from the north, an immense cloud with lightning flashing from it, a huge ball of fire glowing like bronze.
4
et vidi et ecce ventus turbinis veniebat ab aquilone et nubes magna et ignis involvens et splendor in circuitu eius et de medio eius quasi species electri id est de medio ignis
5 Within the fire were what looked like four creatures vibrant with life. Each had the form of a human being,
5
et ex medio eorum similitudo quattuor animalium et hic aspectus eorum similitudo hominis in eis
6 but each also had four faces and four wings.
6
et quattuor facies uni et quattuor pinnae uni
7 Their legs were as sturdy and straight as columns, but their feet were hoofed like those of a calf and sparkled from the fire like burnished bronze.
7
et pedes eorum pedes recti et planta pedis eorum quasi planta pedis vituli et scintillae quasi aspectus aeris candentis
8 On all four sides under their wings they had human hands. All four had both faces and wings,
8
et manus hominis sub pinnis eorum in quattuor partibus et facies et pinnas per quattuor partes habebant
9 with the wings touching one another. They turned neither one way nor the other; they went straight forward.
9
iunctaeque erant pinnae eorum alterius ad alterum non revertebantur cum incederent sed unumquodque ante faciem suam gradiebatur
10 Their faces looked like this: In front a human face, on the right side the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and in back the face of an eagle.
10
similitudo autem vultus eorum facies hominis et facies leonis a dextris ipsorum quattuor facies autem bovis a sinistris ipsorum quattuor et facies aquilae ipsorum quattuor
11 So much for the faces. The wings were spread out with the tips of one pair touching the creature on either side; the other pair of wings covered its body.
11
et facies eorum et pinnae eorum extentae desuper duae pinnae singulorum iungebantur et duae tegebant corpora eorum
12 Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went. They didn't turn as they went.
12
et unumquodque coram facie sua ambulabat ubi erat impetus spiritus illuc gradiebantur nec revertebantur cum ambularent
13 The four creatures looked like a blazing fire, or like fiery torches. Tongues of fire shot back and forth between the creatures, and out of the fire, bolts of lightning.
13
et similitudo animalium aspectus eorum quasi carbonum ignis ardentium et quasi aspectus lampadarum haec erat visio discurrens in medio animalium splendor ignis et de igne fulgor egrediens
14 The creatures flashed back and forth like strikes of lightning.
14
et animalia ibant et revertebantur in similitudinem fulguris coruscantis
15 As I watched the four creatures, I saw something that looked like a wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures.
15
cumque aspicerem animalia apparuit rota una super terram iuxta animalia habens quattuor facies
16 This is what the wheels looked like: They were identical wheels, sparkling like diamonds in the sun. It looked like they were wheels within wheels, like a gyroscope.
16
et aspectus rotarum et opus earum quasi visio maris et una similitudo ipsarum quattuor et aspectus earum et opera quasi sit rota in medio rotae
17 They went in any one of the four directions they faced, but straight, not veering off.
17
per quattuor partes earum euntes ibant et non revertebantur cum ambularent
18 The rims were immense, circled with eyes.
18
statura quoque erat rotis et altitudo et horribilis aspectus et totum corpus plenum oculis in circuitu ipsarum quattuor
19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went; when the living creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off.
19
cumque ambularent animalia ambulabant pariter et rotae iuxta ea et cum elevarentur animalia de terra elevabantur simul et rotae
20 Wherever the spirit went, they went, the wheels sticking right with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
20
quocumque ibat spiritus illuc eunte spiritu et rotae pariter levabantur sequentes eum spiritus enim vitae erat in rotis
21 When the creatures went, the wheels went; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; when the creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21
cum euntibus ibant et cum stantibus stabant et cum elevatis a terra pariter elevabantur et rotae sequentes ea quia spiritus vitae erat in rotis
22 Over the heads of the living creatures was something like a dome, shimmering like a sky full of cut glass, vaulted over their heads.
22
et similitudo super caput animalium firmamenti quasi aspectus cristalli horribilis et extenti super capita eorum desuper
23 Under the dome one set of wings was extended toward the others, with another set of wings covering their bodies.
23
sub firmamento autem pinnae eorum rectae alterius ad alterum unumquodque duabus alis velabat corpus suum et alterum similiter velabatur
24 When they moved I heard their wings - it was like the roar of a great waterfall, like the voice of The Strong God, like the noise of a battlefield. When they stopped, they folded their wings.
24
et audiebam sonum alarum quasi sonum aquarum multarum quasi sonum sublimis Dei cum ambularent quasi sonus erat multitudinis ut sonus castrorum cumque starent dimittebantur pinnae eorum
25 And then, as they stood with folded wings, there was a voice from above the dome over their heads.
25
nam cum fieret vox supra firmamentum quod erat super caput eorum stabant et submittebant alas suas
26 Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne, sky-blue like a sapphire, with a humanlike figure towering above the throne.
26
et super firmamentum quod erat inminens capiti eorum quasi aspectus lapidis sapphyri similitudo throni et super similitudinem throni similitudo quasi aspectus hominis desuper
27 From what I could see, from the waist up he looked like burnished bronze and from the waist down like a blazing fire. Brightness everywhere!
27
et vidi quasi speciem electri velut aspectum ignis intrinsecus eius per circuitum a lumbis eius et desuper et a lumbis eius usque deorsum vidi quasi speciem ignis splendentis in circuitu
28 The way a rainbow springs out of the sky on a rainy day - that's what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of God! When I saw all this, I fell to my knees, my face to the ground. Then I heard a voice.
28
velut aspectum arcus cum fuerit in nube in die pluviae hic erat aspectus splendoris per gyrum
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.