וַיִּקְרָא בְאָזְנַי קוֹל גָּדוֹל לֵאמֹר קָרְבוּ פְּקֻדּוֹת הָעִיר וְאִישׁ כְּלִי מַשְׁחֵתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ

He called in my ears in a loud voice, like that of a herald, saying: Those appointed [pekudot] to exact the punishment over the city, approach, and each with his weapon of destruction in his hand. Alternatively, the verse means that the day of the reckoning or the command [pekuda] for the destruction of the city is drawing near.

וְהִנֵּה שִׁשָּׁה אֲנָשִׁים בָּאִים מִדֶּרֶךְ־שַׁעַר הָעֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר מָפְנֶה צָפוֹנָה וְאִישׁ כְּלִי מַפָּצוֹ בְּיָדוֹ וְאִישׁ־אֶחָד בְּתוֹכָם לָבֻשׁ בַּדִּים וְקֶסֶת הַסֹּפֵר בְּמָתְנָיו וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ אֵצֶל מִזְבַּח הַנְּחשֶׁת

And behold, before me six men were coming from the way of the upper gate of the Temple, which faces northward. The upper gate was constructed by Yotam king of Judah. Each man was coming with his battering ram in his hand, and one man in their midst was clothed in linen, with a scribe’s inkwell at his waist. This man’s angelic clothing, together with his implements, indicated that he was an angel appointed over the other six. They, the six men, came and they stood beside the bronze altar.

וּכְבוֹד אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעֲלָה מֵעַל הַכְּרוּב אֲשֶׁר הָיָה עָלָיו אֶל מִפְתַּן הַבָּיִת וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־הָאִישׁ הַלָּבֻשׁ הַבַּדִּים אֲשֶׁר קֶסֶת הַסֹּפֵר בְּמָתְנָיו

At that moment, the glory of the God of Israel ascended from upon the cherub upon which it had been resting. God is referred to as the One “who abides upon the cherubs.” The cherubs shrouded, as it were, the throne upon which the glory of God rested in the Temple, and they stood at the ready to serve Him. Now the glory of God ascended from its place to the threshold of the House, preparing for its imminent departure, and He called to the man clothed in linen, the angel, at whose waist was the scribe’s inkwell.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָו עֲבֹר בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר בְּתוֹךְ יְרֽוּשָׁלִַם וְהִתְוִיתָ תָּו עַל־מִצְחוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים הַנֶּאֱנָחִים וְהַנֶּאֱנָקִים עַל כָּל־הַתּוֹעֵבוֹת הַנַּעֲשׂוֹת בְּתוֹכָהּ

The Lord said to him: Pass through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and mark a sign upon the foreheads of the men who are sighing in pain and who are crying out helplessly over the defilement of the city and over all the abominations that are performed in its midst.

וּלְאֵלֶּה אָמַר בְּאָזְנַי עִבְרוּ בָעִיר אַחֲרָיו וְהַכּוּ אַל־תָּחֹס עֵינְכֶם וְאַל־תַּחְמֹלוּ

And to those men who were carrying the battering rams, He said in my earshot: Pass through the city behind him, the man clothed in linen, who is passing through Jerusalem and marking those who shall be spared, and smite; let your eye not pity and do not have compassion.

זָקֵן בָּחוּר וּבְתוּלָה וְטַף וְנָשִׁים תַּהַרְגוּ לְמַשְׁחִית וְעַל־כָּל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָלָיו הַתָּו אַל־תִּגַּשׁוּ וּמִמִּקְדָּשִׁי תָּחֵלּוּ

You shall kill elder, youth and maiden, children and women for destruction, but do not approach any man upon whom is the sign, as it indicates his immunity from punishment; begin the onslaught from My Sanctuary, where you are currently standing. They began to carry out the order to smite with the elders who were before the House.

וַיָּחֵלּוּ בָּאֲנָשִׁים הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי הַבָּיִת וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם טַמְּאוּ אֶת־הַבַּיִת וּמַלְאוּ אֶת־הַחֲצֵרוֹת חֲלָלִים צֵאוּ וְיָצְאוּ וְהִכּוּ בָעִיר

He said to them: Defile the House, and fill the courtyards with the slain. Leave the slain in their places and do not concern yourselves with the impurity of the Temple and its courtyards. Go out to the city. They went out, and smote throughout the city.

וַיְהִי כְּהַכּוֹתָם וְנֵאשְׁאַר אָנִי וָאֶפְּלָה עַל־פָּנַי וָאֶזְעַק וָאֹמַר אֲהָהּ ה' אֱלוֹהִים! הֲמַשְׁחִית אַתָּה אֵת כָּל־שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשָׁפְכְּךָ אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם! !

It was as they were smiting in the city, I remained alone in the Temple, surrounded by those slain, and I fell upon my face, and I cried out and said: Alas, Lord God, are You intent on destroying the entire remnant of Israel as You pour out Your fury upon Jerusalem?

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי עֲוֹן בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה גָּדוֹל בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ דָּמִים וְהָעִיר מָלְאָה מֻטֶּה כִּי אָמְרוּ עָזַב ה' אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְאֵין ה' רֹאֶה

He said to me: Indeed, the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land has become filled with blood. There have been numerous acts of murder, and vengeance is necessary. And the city has filled with injustice, as they said: The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see. He no longer monitors our deeds. Therefore, the people contrive to do whatever they please.

וְגַם־אֲנִי לֹא־תָחוֹס עֵינִי וְלֹא אֶחְמֹל דַּרְכָּם בְּרֹאשָׁם נָתָתִּי

I too, commensurate with their cruelty, My eye will not pity, and I will not have compassion; I placed their way upon their head. The punishment will take effect upon them in the manner that they sinned. I will punish them measure for measure.

וְהִנֵּה הָאִישׁ לְבֻשׁ הַבַּדִּים אֲשֶׁר הַקֶּסֶת בְּמָתְנָיו מֵשִׁיב דָּבָר לֵאמֹר עָשִׂיתִי כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנִי

And behold, the man clothed in linen with the inkwell at his waist was responding, as a subordinate reporting to his superior, saying: I have acted in accordance with everything that You commanded me.