וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֗ית בַּשִּׁשִּׁי֙ בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ אֲנִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּבֵיתִ֔י וְזִקְנֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יוֹשְׁבִ֣ים לְפָנָ֑י וַתִּפֹּ֤ל עָלַי֙ שָׁ֔ם יַ֖ד אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִֽה׃ In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting at home, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, and there the hand of the Sovereign GOD fell upon me.
וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה דְמוּת֙ כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵ֔שׁ מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה מׇתְנָ֛יו וּלְמַ֖טָּה אֵ֑שׁ וּמִמׇּתְנָ֣יו וּלְמַ֔עְלָה כְּמַרְאֵה־זֹ֖הַר כְּעֵ֥ין הַחַשְׁמַֽלָה׃ As I looked, there was a figure that had the appearance of fire:afire Septuagint “a man.” from what appeared as the loins down, [there was] fire; and from the loins up, the appearance was resplendent and had the color of amber.
וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ תַּבְנִ֣ית יָ֔ד וַיִּקָּחֵ֖נִי בְּצִיצִ֣ת רֹאשִׁ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֣א אֹתִ֣י ר֣וּחַ ׀ בֵּֽין־הָאָ֣רֶץ וּבֵ֣ין הַשָּׁמַ֡יִם וַתָּבֵא֩ אֹתִ֨י יְרוּשָׁלַ֜͏ְמָה בְּמַרְא֣וֹת אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח שַׁ֤עַר הַפְּנִימִית֙ הַפּוֹנֶ֣ה צָפ֔וֹנָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֣ם מוֹשַׁ֔ב סֵ֖מֶל הַקִּנְאָ֥ה הַמַּקְנֶֽה׃ The form of a hand stretched out, and took me by the hair of my head. A spirit lifted me up between heaven and earth and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the PenimithbPenimith Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Gate that faces north; that was the site of the infuriating image that provokes fury.
וְהִ֨נֵּה־שָׁ֔ם כְּב֖וֹד אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּמַּרְאֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי בַּבִּקְעָֽה׃ And the Presence of the God of Israel appeared there, like the vision that I had seen in the valley.cthe vision that I had seen in the valley See chap. 1 and 3.22–23.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם שָׂא־נָ֥א עֵינֶ֖יךָ דֶּ֣רֶךְ צָפ֑וֹנָה וָאֶשָּׂ֤א עֵינַי֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ צָפ֔וֹנָה וְהִנֵּ֤ה מִצָּפוֹן֙ לְשַׁ֣עַר הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ סֵ֛מֶל הַקִּנְאָ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה בַּבִּאָֽה׃ And I was told, “O mortal, turn your eyes northward.” I turned my eyes northward, and there, north of the gate of the altar, wasdnorth of the gate of the altar, was Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “north of the gate was the altar of.” that infuriating image on the approach.eapproach Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הֲרֹאֶ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה (מהם) [מָ֣ה הֵ֣ם] עֹשִׂ֑ים תּוֹעֵב֨וֹת גְּדֹל֜וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ׀ עֹשִׂ֣ים פֹּ֗ה לְרׇֽחֳקָה֙ מֵעַ֣ל מִקְדָּשִׁ֔י וְעוֹד֙ תָּשׁ֣וּב תִּרְאֶ֔ה תּוֹעֵב֖וֹת גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃ {פ}
And [God] said to me, “Mortal, do you see what they are doing, the terrible abominations that the House of Israel is practicing here, to drive Me farfto drive Me far Or “at a distance.” from My Sanctuary? You shall yet see even greater abominations!”
וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתִ֖י אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הֶחָצֵ֑ר וָאֶרְאֶ֕ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה חֹר־אֶחָ֖ד בַּקִּֽיר׃ Then [God] brought me to the entrance of the court;gthe court I.e., the outer court of the temple. and I looked, and there was a hole in the wall.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֖ם חֲתׇר־נָ֣א בַקִּ֑יר וָאֶחְתֹּ֣ר בַּקִּ֔יר וְהִנֵּ֖ה פֶּ֥תַח אֶחָֽד׃ {ס} I was told, “Mortal, break through the wall”; so I broke through the wall and found an entrance.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י בֹּ֤א וּרְאֵה֙ אֶת־הַתּוֹעֵב֣וֹת הָרָע֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם עֹשִׂ֖ים פֹּֽה׃ And I was told, “Enter and see the vile abominations that they are practicing here.”
וָאָבוֹא֮ וָאֶרְאֶה֒ וְהִנֵּ֨ה כׇל־תַּבְנִ֜ית רֶ֤מֶשׂ וּבְהֵמָה֙ שֶׁ֔קֶץ וְכׇל־גִּלּוּלֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מְחֻקֶּ֥ה עַל־הַקִּ֖יר סָבִ֥יב ׀ סָבִֽיב׃ I entered and looked, and there all detestable forms of creeping things and beasts and all the fetishes of the House of Israel were depicted over the entire wall.
וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֣ישׁ מִזִּקְנֵ֣י בֵֽית־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵ֠ל וְיַאֲזַנְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־שָׁפָ֜ן עֹמֵ֤ד בְּתוֹכָם֙ עֹמְדִ֣ים לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ מִקְטַרְתּ֖וֹ בְּיָד֑וֹ וַעֲתַ֥ר עֲנַֽן־הַקְּטֹ֖רֶת עֹלֶֽה׃ Before them stood seventy of the elders of the House of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing in their midst. Everyone had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense smoke ascended.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר זִקְנֵ֤י בֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ אִ֖ישׁ בְּחַדְרֵ֣י מַשְׂכִּית֑וֹ כִּ֣י אֹמְרִ֗ים אֵ֤ין יְהֹוָה֙ רֹאֶ֣ה אֹתָ֔נוּ עָזַ֥ב יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ Again [God] spoke to me, “O mortal, have you seen what the elders of the House of Israel are doing in the darkness, everyone in his image-covered chamber? For they say, ‘GOD does not see us; GOD has abandoned the country.’”
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י ע֣וֹד תָּשׁ֥וּב תִּרְאֶ֛ה תּוֹעֵב֥וֹת גְּדֹל֖וֹת אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֥מָּה עֹשִֽׂים׃ And [God]said to me, “You shall see even more terrible abominations that they practice.”
וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתִ֗י אֶל־פֶּ֙תַח֙ שַׁ֣עַר בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֶל־הַצָּפ֑וֹנָה וְהִנֵּה־שָׁם֙ הַנָּשִׁ֣ים יֹשְׁב֔וֹת מְבַכּ֖וֹת אֶת־הַתַּמּֽוּז׃ {ס} Next [God] brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the House of GOD;hgate of the House of GOD I.e., the gate of the inner court. and there sat the women bewailing Tammuz.iTammuz A Babylonian god.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלַ֖י הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָ֑ם ע֣וֹד תָּשׁ֥וּב תִּרְאֶ֛ה תּוֹעֵב֖וֹת גְּדֹל֥וֹת מֵאֵֽלֶּה׃ I was told, “Have you seen, O mortal? You shall see even more terrible abominations than these.”
וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתִ֗י אֶל־חֲצַ֣ר בֵּית־יְהֹוָה֮ הַפְּנִימִית֒ וְהִנֵּה־פֶ֜תַח הֵיכַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֗ה בֵּ֤ין הָֽאוּלָם֙ וּבֵ֣ין הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ כְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אִ֑ישׁ אֲחֹ֨רֵיהֶ֜ם אֶל־הֵיכַ֤ל יְהֹוָה֙ וּפְנֵיהֶ֣ם קֵ֔דְמָה וְהֵ֛מָּה מִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֥ם קֵ֖דְמָה לַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ Then [God] brought me into the inner court of the House of GOD, and there, at the entrance to the Temple of GOD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men, their backs to the Temple of GOD and their faces to the east; they were bowing low to the sun in the east.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָם֒ הֲנָקֵל֙ לְבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה מֵעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־הַתּוֹעֵב֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשׂוּ־פֹ֑ה כִּֽי־מָלְא֨וּ אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ חָמָ֗ס וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ לְהַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי וְהִנָּ֛ם שֹׁלְחִ֥ים אֶת־הַזְּמוֹרָ֖ה אֶל־אַפָּֽם׃ And I was told, “Do you see, O mortal? Is it not enough for the House of Judah to practice the abominations that they have committed here, that they must fill the country with lawlessness and provoke Me still further and thrust the branch to their nostrils?jthrust the branch to their nostrils Apparently meaning “goad Me to fury”; “their” is a euphemism for “My.”
וְגַם־אֲנִי֙ אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה בְחֵמָ֔ה לֹא־תָח֥וֹס עֵינִ֖י וְלֹ֣א אֶחְמֹ֑ל וְקָרְא֤וּ בְאׇזְנַי֙ ק֣וֹל גָּד֔וֹל וְלֹ֥א אֶשְׁמַ֖ע אוֹתָֽם׃ I in turn will act with fury, I will show no pity or compassion; though they cry aloud to Me, I will not listen to them.”