Ezekiel · Chapter 1

[ edit] And it is don, in þe þrittiþe ȝeer, in þe fourþe moneþ, in þe fyueþe day of þe moneþ, when I was in þe mydil of caitifs, biſydis þe floode Cobar, heuens wern openyd, and I ſeeȝ viſiouns of God. In þe fyueþe of þe moneþ; þe ylk is þe fyueþ ȝeer of tranſmygracioun, or paſſyng ouer, of Joachym, kyng of Juda; þe word of þe Lord is maad to Ezechiel, ſone of Buzi, preſte, in þe lond of Caldeis, biſijdis þe flode Cobar; and þe hond of þe Lord is maad þer vpon hym.

And I ſeeȝ, and loo! a wynde of tempeſt, or whirlwynde, cam fro þe norþ, and a grete cloude, and fyre inwlappynge, and a ſchynynge in þe cumpas of it; and of þe mydil of it, þat is to ſaye, of þe mydil of fijre, as a lickeneſſe of electre, þat is, a metal of gold and ſyluere, cleerer þan gold. And of þe mydil of it a lickeneſſe of four beſtis. And þis þe byholdynge of hem, þe lickeneſſe of man in hem. And four facis to oon, and four pennys to oon. And þe feet of hem ſtreiȝt feet, and þe ſool of þe foot of hem as þe ſole of a calues fote, and ſparclis, as byholdyng of whyte metale. And an hond of man vnder þe pennys of hem, in four parties.

And þei hadden faces and pennys by foure parties; and þe pennys of hem, of an oþer to þe toþer weren ioyned. Þei turneden not aȝein, when þei wenten, bot eche wente byfore his face. Forſoþ þe lickeneſſe of þe ſemblaunt of hem; a face of man and face of a lyoun at þe riȝþalf of hem foure. Forſoþ a face of an oxe at þe left half of hem foure; and þe face of an egle fro aboue of hem foure. And þe faces of hem and pennys of hem ſtreȝt out aboue. Two pennys of eche weren ioyned, and two keuerden þe bodies of hem. And eche of hem walkide befor his face. Where þe feerſneſſe of þe ſpirit was, þidir þei wenten, neþer þei turneden aȝein, whenne þei walkiden.

And þe lickeneſſe of þe beſtis, and þe biholdynge of hem, as of brennynge coolis of fijre, and as biholdynge of laumpis. Þis was þe ſiȝt diuerſly rennynge in myddil of þe beſtis, ſhynyng of fijre, and of þe fijre leyt goynge forþ. And þe beſtes wenten, and turneden aȝein, into lickeneſſis of leyt ſhynynge. And when I behelde þe beſtis, oo whele apeerid vpon erþe biſijdis þe beſtis, hauynge foure faces. And þe biholdyng of wheelis and þe werk of hem as ſiȝte of þe ſe; and oo lickeneſſe of hem foure; and þe biholdynge of hem and werkis, as ȝif a wheel be in þe mydel of a wheel. Þei goynge wenten bi foure parties of hem, and þei turneden not aȝein, whenne þei wenten.

To what place þat þat was firſt bowide, and þe oþir ſueden. Þei turneden not aȝein, whenne þei walkiden. And ſtature was to þe wheelis, and heeȝneſſe, and orrible biholdynge; and al þe bodye ful of eeȝen in cumpas of hem foure. And whenne þe beſtis walkiden, and þe whelis to gidir walkiden biſijdis hem. And whenn þe beſtis weren lift vp fro þe erþe, and þe wheelis weren lyft vp togidir. Whidir euer þe ſpirit wente, þidir goynge þe ſpirit, and þe wheelis weren lift vp to gidir ſuynge hym; forſoþe þe ſpirit of lyf was in þe whelis. Wiþ þe goynge þei wenten, and wiþ þe ſtondynge þei ſtoden.

And wiþ þe reiſide fro þe erþe, and þe wheelis weren reyſid to gydir ſuynge hem; for þe ſpirit of lyf was in þe wheelis. And þe lickeneſſe of þe firmament vpon þe hedis of beeſtis, and as biholdynge of criſtal orrible, and ſtreiȝt forþ aboue vpon þe hedis of hem. Forſoþe vndir þe firmament þe pennis of hem ſtreiȝt, of þe toþer to þe toþer; eche hilide his bodye wiþ two weengus, and þe toþer alſo was hilide. And I herde þe ſoun of weengus, as þe ſoun of many watris, as þe ſoun of heeȝ God. When þei walkiden, þere was as þe ſowne of multitude, as þe ſoun of caſtels, or ooſtis of men; and when þei ſtoden, þe pennys of hem weren leide doun.

For whi whenne a vois was maad vpon þe firmament, whiche was vpon þe hedis of hem, þei ſtoden, and ſenten doun her weingis. And vpon þe firmament þat was neiȝinge to þe hede of hem, as þe biholdynge of a ſaphire ſtoone, a lickeneſſe of trone; and vpon liknes of þe trone þe liknes, as biholdynge of man fro a boue. And I ſeeȝ as þe liknes of electre, as þe biholdynge of fier wiþinforþ, bi þe compas of it; fro þe leendis of hym and aboue, and fro þe leendis of him and byneþe Y ſeeȝ as þe liknes of fier ſhynynge in þe cumpas, as þe biholdynge of a bowe, whanne it ſhal be in þe cloude in þe dai of rayn. Þis was þe biholdynge of ſhinynge bi compas. Þis ſiȝt of liknes of glorie of þe Lord.

And Y ſeeȝ, and fel in to my face; and Y herde a vois of þe ſpekynge.