1 And He crieth in mine ears -- a loud voice -- saying, `Drawn near have inspectors of the city, and each his destroying weapon in his hand.'

1 וַיִּקְרָ֣א בְאָזְנַ֗י קֹ֤ול גָּדֹול֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר קָרְב֖וּ פְּקֻדֹּ֣ות הָעִ֑יר וְאִ֛ישׁ כְּלִ֥י מַשְׁחֵתֹ֖ו בְּיָדֹֽו׃

2 And lo, six men are coming from the way of the upper gate, that is facing the north, and each his slaughter-weapon in his hand, and one man in their midst is clothed with linen, and a scribe's inkhorn at his loins, and they come in, and stand near the brazen altar.

2 וְהִנֵּ֣ה שִׁשָּׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֡ים בָּאִ֣ים׀ מִדֶּרֶךְ־שַׁ֨עַר הָעֶלְיֹ֜ון אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ מָפְנֶ֣ה צָפֹ֗ונָה וְאִ֨ישׁ כְּלִ֤י מַפָּצֹו֙ בְּיָדֹ֔ו וְאִישׁ־אֶחָ֤ד בְּתֹוכָם֙ לָבֻ֣שׁ בַּדִּ֔ים וְקֶ֥סֶת הַסֹּפֵ֖ר בְּמָתְנָ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ וַיַּ֣עַמְד֔וּ אֵ֖צֶל מִזְבַּ֥ח הַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃

3 And the honour of the God of Israel hath gone up from off the cherub, on which it hath been, unto the threshold of the house.

3 וּכְבֹ֣וד׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נַעֲלָה֙ מֵעַ֤ל הַכְּרוּב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה עָלָ֔יו אֶ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶל־הָאִישׁ֙ הַלָּבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר קֶ֥סֶת הַסֹּפֵ֖ר בְּמָתְנָֽיו׃

4 And He calleth unto the man who is clothed with linen, who hath the scribe's inkhorn at his loins, and Jehovah saith unto him, `Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Jerusalem, and thou hast made a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and who are groaning for all the abominations that are done in its midst.'

4 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלֹו אֵלָ֔יו עֲבֹר֙ בְּתֹ֣וךְ הָעִ֔יר בְּתֹ֖וךְ יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהִתְוִ֨יתָ תָּ֜ו עַל־מִצְחֹ֣ות הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַנֶּֽאֱנָחִים֙ וְהַנֶּ֣אֱנָקִ֔ים עַ֚ל כָּל־הַתֹּ֣ועֵבֹ֔ות הַֽנַּעֲשֹׂ֖ות בְּתֹוכָֽהּ׃

5 And to the others he said in mine ears, `Pass on into the city after him, and smite; your eye doth not pity, nor do ye spare;

5 וּלְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ אָמַ֣ר בְּאָזְנַ֔י עִבְר֥וּ בָעִ֛יר אַחֲרָ֖יו וְהַכּ֑וּ עַל־ אַל־תָּחֹ֥ס עֵינֵיכֶם עֵינְכֶ֖ם וְאַל־תַּחְמֹֽלוּ׃

6 aged, young man, and virgin, and infant, and women, ye do slay -- to destruction; and against any man on whom `is' the mark ye do not go nigh, and from My sanctuary ye begin.'

6 זָקֵ֡ן בָּח֣וּר וּבְתוּלָה֩ וְטַ֨ף וְנָשִׁ֜ים תַּהַרְג֣וּ לְמַשְׁחִ֗ית וְעַל־כָּל־אִ֨ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָלָ֤יו הַתָּו֙ אַל־תִּגַּ֔שׁוּ וּמִמִּקְדָּשִׁ֖י תָּחֵ֑לּוּ וַיָּחֵ֙לּוּ֙ בָּאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הַזְּקֵנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י הַבָּֽיִת׃

7 And they begin among the aged men who `are' before the house, and He saith unto them, `Defile the house, and fill the courts with the wounded, go forth.' And they have gone forth and have smitten in the city.

7 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם טַמְּא֣וּ אֶת־הַבַּ֗יִת וּמַלְא֧וּ אֶת־הַחֲצֵרֹ֛ות חֲלָלִ֖ים צֵ֑אוּ וְיָצְא֖וּ וְהִכּ֥וּ בָעִֽיר׃

8 And it cometh to pass, as they are smiting, and I -- I am left -- that I fall on my face, and cry, and say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, art Thou destroying all the remnant of Israel, in Thy pouring out Thy wrath on Jerusalem?'

8 וַֽיְהִי֙ כְּהַכֹּותָ֔ם וְנֵֽאשֲׁאַ֖ר אָ֑נִי וָאֶפְּלָ֨ה עַל־פָּנַ֜י וָאֶזְעַ֗ק וָֽאֹמַר֙ אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הֲמַשְׁחִ֣ית אַתָּ֗ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּשָׁפְכְּךָ֥ אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ֖ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

9 And He saith unto me, `The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah `is' very very great, and the land is full of blood, and the city hath been full of perverseness, for they have said: Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah is not seeing.

9 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י עֲוֹ֨ן בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל וִֽיהוּדָה֙ גָּדֹול֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וַתִּמָּלֵ֤א הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ דָּמִ֔ים וְהָעִ֖יר מָלְאָ֣ה מֻטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אָמְר֗וּ עָזַ֤ב יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֵ֥ין יְהוָ֖ה רֹאֶֽה׃

10 And I also, Mine eye doth not pity, nor do I spare; their way on their own head I have put.'

10 וְגַ֨ם־אֲנִ֔י לֹא־תָחֹ֥וס עֵינִ֖י וְלֹ֣א אֶחְמֹ֑ל דַּרְכָּ֖ם בְּרֹאשָׁ֥ם נָתָֽתִּי׃

11 And lo, the man clothed with linen, at whose loins `is' the inkhorn, is bringing back word, saying, `I have done as Thou hast commanded me.'

11 וְהִנֵּ֞ה הָאִ֣ישׁ׀ לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הַקֶּ֙סֶת֙ בְּמָתְנָ֔יו מֵשִׁ֥יב דָּבָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר עָשִׂ֕יתִי כַאֲשֶׁר כְּכֹ֖ל³ אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתָֽנִי׃