When the Glory Leaves the Building.

וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֶל־הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים כְּאֶ֣בֶן סַפִּ֔יר כְּמַרְאֵ֖ה דְּמ֣וּת כִּסֵּ֑א נִרְאָ֖ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

Then I looked, and behold, on the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire, in appearance like a throne.

וַיֹּ֜אמֶר אֶל־הָאִ֣ישׁ׀ לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים וַיֹּ֡אמֶר בֹּא֩ אֶל־בֵּינ֨וֹת לַגַּלְגַּ֜ל אֶל־תַּ֣חַת לַכְּר֗וּב וּמַלֵּ֨א חָפְנֶ֤יךָ גַֽחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ֙ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַכְּרֻבִ֔ים וּזְרֹ֖ק עַל־הָעִ֑יר וַיָּבֹ֖א לְעֵינָֽי׃

[2] And he said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in before my eyes.

וְהַכְּרֻבִ֗ים עֹֽמְדִ֛ים מִימִ֥ין לַבַּ֖יִת בְּבֹא֣וֹ הָאִ֑ישׁ וְהֶעָנָ֣ן מָלֵ֔א אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֖ר הַפְּנִימִֽית׃

[3] Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court.

וַיָּ֤רָם כְּבוֹד־יְהוָה֙ מֵעַ֣ל הַכְּר֔וּב עַ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַיִּמָּלֵ֤א הַבַּ֙יִת֙ אֶת־הֶ֣עָנָ֔ן וְהֶֽחָצֵר֙ מָֽלְאָ֔ה אֶת־נֹ֖גַהּ כְּב֥וֹד יְהוָֽה׃

[4] And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord .

וְקוֹל֙ כַּנְפֵ֣י הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים נִשְׁמַ֕ע עַד־הֶחָצֵ֖ר הַחִיצֹנָ֑ה כְּק֥וֹל אֵל־שַׁדַּ֖י בְּדַבְּרֽוֹ׃

[5] And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.

וַיְהִ֗י בְּצַוֺּתוֹ֙ אֶת־הָאִ֤ישׁ לְבֻֽשׁ־הַבַּדִּים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר קַ֥ח אֵשׁ֙ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַגַּלְגַּ֔ל מִבֵּינ֖וֹת לַכְּרוּבִ֑ים וַיָּבֹא֙ וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֔ד אֵ֖צֶל הָאוֹפָֽן׃

[6] And when he commanded the man clothed in linen, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he went in and stood beside a wheel.

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַכְּר֨וּב אֶת־יָד֜וֹ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַכְּרוּבִ֗ים אֶל־הָאֵשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ בֵּינ֣וֹת הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים וַיִּשָּׂא֙ וַיִּתֵּ֔ן אֶל־חָפְנֵ֖י לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֑ים וַיִּקַּ֖ח וַיֵּצֵֽא׃

[7] And a cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out.

וַיֵּרָ֖א לַכְּרֻבִ֑ים תַּבְנִית֙ יַד־אָדָ֔ם תַּ֖חַת כַּנְפֵיהֶֽם׃

[8] The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings.

וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה אַרְבָּעָ֣ה אוֹפַנִּים֮ אֵ֣צֶל הַכְּרוּבִים֒ אוֹפַ֣ן אֶחָ֗ד אֵ֚צֶל הַכְּר֣וּב אֶחָ֔ד וְאוֹפַ֣ן אֶחָ֔ד אֵ֖צֶל הַכְּר֣וּב אֶחָ֑ד וּמַרְאֵה֙ הָא֣וֹפַנִּ֔ים כְּעֵ֖ין אֶ֥בֶן תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃

[9] And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling beryl.

וּמַ֨רְאֵיהֶ֔ם דְּמ֥וּת אֶחָ֖ד לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יִהְיֶ֥ה הָאוֹפַ֖ן בְּת֥וֹךְ הָאוֹפָֽן׃

[10] And as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel.

בְּלֶכְתָּ֗ם אֶל־אַרְבַּ֤עַת רִבְעֵיהֶם֙ יֵלֵ֔כוּ לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖בּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּ֑ם כִּ֣י הַמָּק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִפְנֶ֤ה הָרֹאשׁ֙ אַחֲרָ֣יו יֵלֵ֔כוּ לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖בּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּֽם׃

[11] When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went, but in whatever direction the front wheel faced, the others followed without turning as they went.

וְכָל־בְּשָׂרָם֙ וְגַבֵּהֶ֔ם וִֽידֵיהֶ֖ם וְכַנְפֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֗ים מְלֵאִ֤ים עֵינַ֙יִם֙ סָבִ֔יב לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֖ם אוֹפַנֵּיהֶֽם׃

[12] And their whole body, their rims, and their spokes, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels that the four of them had.

לָא֖וֹפַנִּ֑ים לָהֶ֛ם קוֹרָ֥א הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל בְּאָזְנָֽי׃

[13] As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing “the whirling wheels.”

וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ד פְּנֵ֨י הָאֶחָ֜ד פְּנֵ֣י הַכְּר֗וּב וּפְנֵ֤י הַשֵּׁנִי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אַרְיֵ֔ה וְהָרְבִיעִ֖י פְּנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃

[14] And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

וַיֵּרֹ֖מּוּ הַכְּרוּבִ֑ים הִ֣יא הַחַיָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי בִּֽנְהַר־כְּבָֽר׃

[15] And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal.

וּבְלֶ֙כֶת֙ הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים יֵלְכ֥וּ הָאוֹפַנִּ֖ים אֶצְלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂאֵ֨ת הַכְּרוּבִ֜ים אֶת־כַּנְפֵיהֶ֗ם לָרוּם֙ מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹא־יִסַּ֧בּוּ הָאוֹפַנִּ֛ים גַּם־הֵ֖ם מֵאֶצְלָֽם׃

[16] And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them. And when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them.

בְּעָמְדָ֣ם יַעֲמֹ֔דוּ וּבְרוֹמָ֖ם יֵר֣וֹמּוּ אוֹתָ֑ם כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ הַחַיָּ֖ה בָּהֶֽם׃

[17] When they stood still, these stood still, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

וַיֵּצֵא֙ כְּב֣וֹד יְהוָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־הַכְּרוּבִֽים׃

[18] Then the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.

וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ הַכְּרוּבִ֣ים אֶת־כַּ֠נְפֵיהֶם וַיֵּר֨וֹמּוּ מִן־הָאָ֤רֶץ לְעֵינַי֙ בְּצֵאתָ֔ם וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֖ים לְעֻמָּתָ֑ם וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֗ד פֶּ֣תַח שַׁ֤עַר בֵּית־יְהוָה֙ הַקַּדְמוֹנִ֔י וּכְב֧וֹד אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃

[19] And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord , and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.

הִ֣יא הַחַיָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֛יתִי תַּ֥חַת אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בִּֽנְהַר־כְּבָ֑ר וָאֵדַ֕ע כִּ֥י כְרוּבִ֖ים הֵֽמָּה׃

[20] These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim.

אַרְבָּעָ֨ה אַרְבָּעָ֤ה פָנִים֙ לְאֶחָ֔ד וְאַרְבַּ֥ע כְּנָפַ֖יִם לְאֶחָ֑ד וּדְמוּת֙ יְדֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם תַּ֖חַת כַּנְפֵיהֶֽם׃

[21] Each had four faces, and each four wings, and underneath their wings the likeness of human hands.

וּדְמ֣וּת פְּנֵיהֶ֔ם הֵ֣מָּה הַפָּנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר רָאִ֙יתִי֙ עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֔ר מַרְאֵיהֶ֖ם וְאוֹתָ֑ם אִ֛ישׁ אֶל־עֵ֥בֶר פָּנָ֖יו יֵלֵֽכוּ׃

[22] And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the Chebar canal. Each one of them went straight forward.