حِزْقِيَال 9

١ 1 وَصَرَخَ فِي سَمْعِي بِصَوْتٍ عَالٍ قَائِلًا: «قَرِّبْ وُكَلَاءَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ، كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ وَعُدَّتَهُ ٱلْمُهْلِكَةَ بِيَدِهِ».

Then I heard him shout out with a loud voice, “Start the attack, you who are in charge of punishing Jerusalem! Pick up your weapons!”

٢ 2 وَإِذَا بِسِتَّةِ رِجَالٍ مُقْبِلِينَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ ٱلْبَابِ ٱلْأَعْلَى ٱلَّذِي هُوَ مِنْ جِهَةِ ٱلشِّمَالِ، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عُدَّتُهُ ٱلسَّاحِقَةُ بِيَدِهِ، وَفِي وَسْطِهِمْ رَجُلٌ لَابِسٌ ٱلْكَتَّانَ، وَعَلَى جَانِبِهِ دَوَاةُ كَاتِبٍ. فَدَخَلُوا وَوَقَفُوا جَانِبَ مَذْبَحِ ٱلنُّحَاسِ.

I watched as six men approached from the upper gate that faces north. All of them were carrying battle axes. There was another man with them. He was dressed in linen and had a scribe's writing kit at his side. They entered and stood next to the bronze altar.

٣ 3 وَمَجْدُ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ صَعِدَ عَنِ ٱلْكَرُوبِ ٱلَّذِي كَانَ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى عَتَبَةِ ٱلْبَيْتِ. فَدَعَا ٱلرَّجُلَ ٱللَّابِسَ ٱلْكَتَّانِ ٱلَّذِي دَوَاةُ ٱلْكَاتِبِ عَلَى جَانِبِهِ،

The glory of the God of Israel rose from its usual place on the cherubim and went over to the Temple entrance. The Lord called out to the man dressed in linen with the writing kit,

٤ 4 وَقَالَ لَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ: «ٱعْبُرْ فِي وَسْطِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ، فِي وَسْطِ أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَسِمْ سِمَةً عَلَى جِبَاهِ ٱلرِّجَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَئِنُّونَ وَيَتَنَهَّدُونَ عَلَى كُلِّ ٱلرَّجَاسَاتِ ٱلْمَصْنُوعَةِ فِي وَسْطِهَا».

“Go through the whole the city of Jerusalem and place a mark on the foreheads of those who sighing and mourning at all the disgusting sins that are done there.”

٥ 5 وَقَالَ لِأُولَئِكَ فِي سَمْعِي: «ٱعْبُرُوا فِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَرَاءَهُ وَٱضْرِبُوا. لَا تُشْفُقْ أَعْيُنُكُمْ وَلَا تَعْفُوا.

Then I heard him tell the others, “Follow him all through the city and start killing people. Don't be kind or merciful to anyone!

٦ 6 اَلشَّيْخَ وَٱلشَّابَّ وَٱلْعَذْرَاءَ وَٱلطِّفْلَ وَٱلنِّسَاءَ، ٱقْتُلُوا لِلْهَلَاكِ. وَلَا تَقْرُبُوا مِنْ إِنْسَانٍ عَلَيْهِ ٱلسِّمَةُ، وَٱبْتَدِئُوا مِنْ مَقْدِسِي». فَٱبْتَدَأُوا بِٱلرِّجَالِ ٱلشُّيُوخِ ٱلَّذِينَ أَمَامَ ٱلْبَيْتِ.

Kill the old men, the young men and girls, the women and children, but do not go anywhere near those who have the mark. Start at my sanctuary.” So they started by killing the elders who were in front of the Temple.

٧ 7 وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «نَجِّسُوا ٱلْبَيْتَ، وَٱمْلَأُوا ٱلدُّورَ قَتْلَى. ٱخْرُجُوا». فَخَرَجُوا وَقَتَلُوا فِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ.

Then he told them, “Make the Temple unclean and fill the courtyards with dead bodies. Go ahead and do it!” So they went and started killing all through the city.

٨ 8 وَكَانَ بَيْنَمَا هُمْ يَقْتُلُونَ، وَأُبْقِيتُ أَنَا، أَنِّي خَرَرْتُ عَلَى وَجْهِي وَصَرَخْتُ وَقُلْتُ: «آهِ، يَا سَيِّدُ ٱلرَّبُّ! هَلْ أَنْتَ مُهْلِكٌ بَقِيَّةَ إِسْرَائِيلَ كُلَّهَا بِصَبِّ رِجْزِكَ عَلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ؟».

While they were busy killing people, I was left by myself. I fell facedown to the ground and cried out, “Lord God, when you pour out your anger on Jerusalem, are you going to destroy everyone who's left in Israel?”

٩ 9 فَقَالَ لِي: «إِنَّ إِثْمَ بَيْتِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَيَهُوذَا عَظِيمٌ جِدًّا جِدًّا، وَقَدِ ٱمْتَلَأَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ دِمَاءً، وَٱمْتَلَأَتِ ٱلْمَدِينَةُ جَنَفًا. لِأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: ٱلرَّبُّ قَدْ تَرَكَ ٱلْأَرْضَ، وَٱلرَّبُّ لَا يَرَى.

“The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are really terrible,” he replied. “The whole country is full of murderers, and those living in the city are criminals. They're saying, ‘The Lord has given up on our country. He can't see what we're doing.’

١٠ 10 وَأَنَا أَيْضًا عَيْنِي لَا تَشْفُقُ وَلَا أَعْفُو. أَجْلِبُ طَرِيقَهُمْ عَلَى رُؤُوسِهِمْ».

But I certainly won't be kind to them or have mercy on them. I will make sure they suffer the consequences of what they've done.”

١١ 11 وَإِذَا بِٱلرَّجُلِ ٱللَّابِسِ ٱلْكَتَّانِ ٱلَّذِي ٱلدَّوَاةُ عَلَى جَانِبِهِ رَدَّ جَوَابًا قَائِلًا: «قَدْ فَعَلْتُ كَمَا أَمَرْتَنِي».

Then the man in linen with the writing kit returned and reported, “I've done what you told me to do.”