וַיִּקְרָ֣א בְאׇזְנַ֗י ק֤וֹל גָּדוֹל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר קָרְב֖וּ פְּקֻדּ֣וֹת הָעִ֑יר וְאִ֛ישׁ כְּלִ֥י מַשְׁחֵת֖וֹ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ Then [God] called loudly in my hearing, saying, “Approach, you who are in charge of the city, each bearing his weapons of destruction!”
וְהִנֵּ֣ה שִׁשָּׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֡ים בָּאִ֣ים ׀ מִדֶּרֶךְ־שַׁ֨עַר הָעֶלְי֜וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ מׇפְנֶ֣ה צָפ֗וֹנָה וְאִ֨ישׁ כְּלִ֤י מַפָּצוֹ֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ וְאִישׁ־אֶחָ֤ד בְּתוֹכָם֙ לָבֻ֣שׁ בַּדִּ֔ים וְקֶ֥סֶת הַסֹּפֵ֖ר בְּמׇתְנָ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ וַיַּ֣עַמְד֔וּ אֵ֖צֶל מִזְבַּ֥ח הַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃ And six figures entered by way of the upper gate that faces north, each with his club in his hand; and among them was another one, clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. They came forward and stopped at the bronze altar.
וּכְב֣וֹד ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נַֽעֲלָה֙ מֵעַ֤ל הַכְּרוּב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה עָלָ֔יו אֶ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶל־הָאִישׁ֙ הַלָּבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר קֶ֥סֶת הַסֹּפֵ֖ר בְּמׇתְנָֽיו׃ {פ}
Now the Presence of the God of Israel had moved from the cherub on which it had rested to the platformathe platform The raised platform on which the temple stood; cf. 47.1. of the House. The figure clothed in linen with the writing case at his waist was summoned;
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔ו עֲבֹר֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר בְּת֖וֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְהִתְוִ֨יתָ תָּ֜ו עַל־מִצְח֣וֹת הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַנֶּֽאֱנָחִים֙ וְהַנֶּ֣אֱנָקִ֔ים עַ֚ל כׇּל־הַתּ֣וֹעֵב֔וֹת הַֽנַּעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּתוֹכָֽהּ׃ and GOD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the persons who moan and groan because of all the abominations that are committed in it.”
וּלְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ אָמַ֣ר בְּאׇזְנַ֔י עִבְר֥וּ בָעִ֛יר אַחֲרָ֖יו וְהַכּ֑וּ (על) [אַל־]תָּחֹ֥ס (עיניכם) [עֵינְכֶ֖ם] וְאַל־תַּחְמֹֽלוּ׃ The others were told in my hearing, “Follow him through the city and strike; show no pity or compassion.
זָקֵ֡ן בָּח֣וּר וּבְתוּלָה֩ וְטַ֨ף וְנָשִׁ֜ים תַּהַרְג֣וּ לְמַשְׁחִ֗ית וְעַל־כׇּל־אִ֨ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָלָ֤יו הַתָּו֙ אַל־תִּגַּ֔שׁוּ וּמִמִּקְדָּשִׁ֖י תָּחֵ֑לּוּ וַיָּחֵ֙לּוּ֙ בָּאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הַזְּקֵנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י הַבָּֽיִת׃ Kill off graybeard, youth and maiden, women and children; but do not touch any person who bears the mark. Begin here at My Sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the House.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם טַמְּא֣וּ אֶת־הַבַּ֗יִת וּמַלְא֧וּ אֶת־הַחֲצֵר֛וֹת חֲלָלִ֖ים צֵ֑אוּ וְיָצְא֖וּ וְהִכּ֥וּ בָעִֽיר׃ And [God] said to them, “Defile the House and fill the courts with the slain. Then go forth.” So they went forth and began to kill in the city.
וַֽיְהִי֙ כְּהַכּוֹתָ֔ם וְנֵֽאשְׁאַ֖ר אָ֑נִי וָאֶפְּלָ֨ה עַל־פָּנַ֜י וָאֶזְעַ֗ק וָֽאֹמַר֙ אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה הֲמַשְׁחִ֣ית אַתָּ֗ה אֵ֚ת כׇּל־שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּשׇׁפְכְּךָ֥ אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ֖ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ When they were out killing, and I remained alone, I flung myself on my face and cried out, “Ah, my Sovereign GOD! Are you going to annihilate all that is left of Israel, pouring out Your fury upon Jerusalem?”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י עֲוֺ֨ן בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל וִֽיהוּדָה֙ גָּדוֹל֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וַתִּמָּלֵ֤א הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ דָּמִ֔ים וְהָעִ֖יר מָלְאָ֣ה מֻטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אָמְר֗וּ עָזַ֤ב יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֵ֥ין יְהֹוָ֖ה רֹאֶֽה׃ The answer came, “The iniquity of the Houses of Judah and Israel is very very great, the land is full of crime and the city is full of corruption. For they say, ‘GOD has forsaken the land, and GOD does not see.’
וְגַ֨ם־אֲנִ֔י לֹא־תָח֥וֹס עֵינִ֖י וְלֹ֣א אֶחְמֹ֑ל דַּרְכָּ֖ם בְּרֹאשָׁ֥ם נָתָֽתִּי׃ I, in turn, will show no pity or compassion; I will give them their deserts.”
וְהִנֵּ֞ה הָאִ֣ישׁ ׀ לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הַקֶּ֙סֶת֙ בְּמׇתְנָ֔יו מֵשִׁ֥יב דָּבָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר עָשִׂ֕יתִי (כאשר) [כְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר] צִוִּיתָֽנִי׃ {פ}
And then the one clothed in linen with the writing case at his waist brought back word, saying, “I have done as You commanded me.”