The Cherubims
Table of Contents
1 In the firmament above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
2 He spake to the man clothed with linen, and said:
Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub. Fill your hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city.
3 The cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in. The cloud filled the inner court.
4 Then the glory of Enki went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house.
The house was filled with the cloud. The court was full of the brightness of Enki’s glory.
5 The sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of Enki when he spoke.
6 He commanded the man clothed with linen, saying:
Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims.
Then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.
7 One cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims. It took the fire and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen. He took it, and went out.
8 There appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings.
9 When I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cheub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.
10 They four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.
11 When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.
12 Their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes around, even the wheels that they four had.
13 The wheels cried unto them.
14 Every one had 4 faces:
- The face of a cherub
- The face of a man
- The face of a lion
- The face of an eagle.
15 The cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.
16 When the cherubims went, the wheels went by them.
When the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.
17 When they stood, these stood. When they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
18 Then Enki departed from the house, and stood over the cherubims.
19 The cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight.
When they went out, the wheels also were beside them. Every one stood at the door of the east gate of Enki’S house.
20 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar.
I knew that they were the cherubims.
21 Every one had 4 faces apiece. Every one 4 wings and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
22 The likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.