יְחֶזְקֵאל 9

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

And he cried out in my ears with a loud voice, saying: “The visitations of the city have drawn near, and each one has equipment for killing in his hand.”

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׃

And behold, six men were approaching from the way of the upper gate, which looks to the north. And each one had equipment for killing in his hand. Also, one man in their midst was clothed with linen, and an instrument for writing was at his waist. And they entered and stood beside the bronze altar.

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

And the glory of the Lord of Israel was taken up, from the cherub upon which he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called out to the man who was clothed with linen and had an instrument for writing at his waist.

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

And the Lord said to him: “Cross through the middle of the city, in the center of Jerusalem, and seal a Tau upon the foreheads of the grieving men, who are mourning over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”

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

And he said to the others, in my hearing: “Cross through the city after him, and strike! Your eye shall not be lenient, and you shall not take pity.

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

Kill, even to utter destruction, old men, young men, and virgins, little ones, and women. But all upon whom you see the Tau, you shall not kill. And begin from my sanctuary.” Therefore, they began with the men among the elders, who were before the face of the house.

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

And he said to them: “Defile the house, and fill its courts with the slain! Go forth!” And they went forth and struck down those who were in the city.

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

And when the slaughter was completed, I remained. And I fell upon my face, and crying out, I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Will you now destroy the entire remnant of Israel, by pouring out your fury upon Jerusalem?”

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׃

And he said to me: “The iniquity of the house of Israel, and of Judah, is vast and exceedingly great, and the land has been filled with blood, and the city has been filled with what is abhorrent. For they have said: ‘The Lord has forsaken the earth,’ and, ‘The Lord does not see.’

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

Therefore, my eye will not be lenient, and I will not take pity. I will repay their own way upon their head.”

11 וְהִנֵּ֞ה הָאִ֣ישׁ ׀ לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הַקֶּ֙סֶת֙ בְּמָתְנָ֔יו מֵשִׁ֥יב דָּבָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר עָשִׂ֕יתִי כַאֲשֶׁר (כְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר) צִוִּיתָֽנִי׃ ס

And behold, the man who was clothed with linen, who had a writing instrument at his back, responded a word, saying: “I have done just as you instructed me.”