القراءة بلغتين

وصَرَخَ على مِسمَعَيَّ بِصَوتٍ عَظيمٍ قائِلًا: «قدِ ٱقتَرَبَ عِقابُ المَدينَة، وكُلُّ واحِدٍ أَداةُ تَدْميرِه بِيَدِه»

وإِذا بِسِتَّةِ رِجالٍ مُقبِلينَ مِن طَريقِ البابِ الأَعْلى المُتَّجِهِ نَحوَ الشَّمال، وكُلُّ واحِدٍ أَداةُ تَحْطيمِه بِيَدِه، وفي وَسْطِهم رَجُلٌ لابِسٌ كَتَّانًا، وعلى وَسَطِه دَواةُ كاتِب. فدَخَلوا ووَقَفوا بِجانِب مَذبَحِ النُّحاس

فصَعِدَ مَجدُ إِلٰهِ إِسْرائيلَ عنِ الكَروبِ الَّذي كانَ علَيه، إِلى عَتَبَةِ البَيت، ونادى الرَّجُلَ اللَّابِسَ الكَتَّانَ الَّذي على وَسَطِه دَواةُ الكاتِب

وقالَ لَه الرَّبّ: «إِجتَزْ في وَسَطِ المَدينة، في وَسَطِ أُورَشَليم، وٱرسُمْ صَليبًا على جِباهِ الرِّجالِ الَّذينَ يَتَنَهَّدونَ ويَنتَحِبونَ على كُلِّ القَبائِحِ الَّتي صُنِعَت في وَسَطِها»

وقالَ لِأُولٰئِكَ على مَسمَعٍ مِنِّي: «إِجْتازوا في المَدينَةِ وَراءَه وٱضرِبوا. لا تَعْطِفْ عُيونُكم ولا تُشفِقوا

أُقتُلوا الشَّيخَ والشَّابَّ والعَذراءَ والطِّفلَ والنِّساءَ حَتَّى الفَناء، ولٰكن كُلُّ مَن علَيه الصَّليبُ لا تَدْنوا مِنه. إِبتَدِئوا مِن مَقدِسي». فٱبتَدَأُوا مِنَ الرِّجالِ الشُّيوخِ الَّذينَ أَمامَ البَيت

وقالَ لَهم: «نَجِّسوا البَيتَ وٱملَأُوا الأَفنِيَةَ مِنَ القَتْلى. أُخرُجوا». فخَرَجوا وضَرَبوا في المَدينة

وبَينَما كانوا يَضرِبون، بَقيتُ أَنا فسَقَطتُ على وَجْهي وصَرَختُ وقُلتُ: «آهِ أَيُّها السَّيِّدُ الرَّبّ، أَتُهلِكُ جَميعَ بَقِيَّةِ إِسْرائيلَ في صَبِّ غَضَبِكَ على أُورَشَليم؟»

فقالَ لي: «إِنَّ إِثمَ بَيتِ إِسْرائيلَ ويَهوذا عَظيمٌ جِدًّا جِدًّا، وقَدِ ٱمتَلَأَتِ الأَرضُ دِماءً وٱمتَلَأتِ المَدينَةُ ٱنحِرافًا، لِأَنَّهم قالوا: إِنَّ الرَّبَّ قد هَجَرَ الأَرضَ وإِنَّ الرَّبَّ لا يَرى

فعَيني أَنا أَيضًا لا تَعطِفُ ولا أُشفِق، بل أَجعَلُ سُلوكَهم على رُؤُوسِهم»

وإِذا بِالرَّجُلِ اللَّابِسِ الكَتَّانَ الَّذي دَواتُه على وَسَطِه قد قَدَّمَ البَيانَ قائِلًا: «إِنِّي فَعَلتُ كما أَمَرتَني»

Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Cause those who are in charge of the city to draw near, each man with his destroying weapon in his hand.”

Behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lies toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand. One man in the middle of them was clothed in linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. They went in, and stood beside the bronze altar.

The glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn by his side.

The LORD said to him, “Go through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

To the others he said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him, and strike. Don’t let your eye spare, neither have pity.

Kill utterly the old man, the young man, the virgin, little children and women; but don’t come near any man on whom is the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” Then they began at the old men who were before the house.

He said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” They went out, and struck in the city.

While they were killing, and I was left, I fell on my face, and cried, and said, “Ah Lord GOD! Will you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

Then he said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perversion; for they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD doesn’t see.’

As for me also, my eye won’t spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way on their head.”

Behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, “I have done as you have commanded me.”