Et clamavit in auribus meis voce magna, dicens: Appropinquaverunt visitationes urbis, et unusquisque vas interfectionis habet in manu sua.

Then I heard him cry aloud, Make way there for the plagues that must befall the city, for the weapon-bearers of death!

And he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying: The visitations of the city are at hand, and every one hath a destroying weapon in his hand.

Et ecce sex viri veniebant de via portæ superioris, quæ respicit ad aquilonem, et uniuscujusque vas interitus in manu ejus: vir quoque unus in medio eorum vestitus erat lineis, et atramentarium scriptoris ad renes ejus: et ingressi sunt, et steterunt juxta altare æreum.

And with that, from the upper gate which looks northwards, I saw six men coming on their way, and none of them but bore his deadly weapon; in their midst walked another, clad in linen, with a writer’s ink-horn at his girdle. All, when they had entered, took their stand by the brazen altar;

And behold six men came from the way of the upper gate, which looketh to the north: and each one had his weapon of destruction in his hand: and there was one man in the midst of them clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn at his reins: and they went in, and stood by the brazen altar.

Et gloria Domini Israël assumpta est de cherub, quæ erat super eum ad limen domus: et vocavit virum qui indutus erat lineis, et atramentarium scriptoris habebat in lumbis suis:

and now, borne on cherub wings, the glory of Israel’s God rose above the threshold of the house, summoning him of the linen clothes and the ink-horn to set about his task.

And the glory of the Lord of Israel went up from the cherub, upon which he was, to the threshold of the house: and he called to the man that was clothed with linen, and had a writer’s inkhorn at his loins.

et dixit Dominus ad eum: Transi per mediam civitatem, in medio Jerusalem, et signa thau super frontes virorum gementium et dolentium super cunctis abominationibus quæ fiunt in medio ejus.

Make thy way, the Lord said to him, all through the city, from end to end of Jerusalem; and where thou findest men that weep and wail over the foul deeds done in it, mark their brows with a cross.

And the Lord said to him: Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem: and mark Thau upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and mourn for all the abominations that are committed in the midst thereof.

Et illis dixit, audiente me: Transite per civitatem sequentes eum, et percutite: non parcat oculus vester, neque misereamini:

To the others I heard him say, Yours it is to traverse the city at his heels, and smite. Never let eye of yours melt with pity;

And to the others he said in my hearing: Go ye after him through the city, and strike: let not your eyes spare, nor be ye moved with pity.

senem, adolescentulum et virginem, parvulum et mulieres interficite usque ad internecionem: omnem autem super quem videritis thau, ne occidatis: et a sanctuario meo incipite. Cœperunt ergo a viris senioribus, qui erant ante faciem domus.

old and young, man and maid, mother and child, all alike destroy till none is left, save only where you see the cross marked on them. And begin first with the temple itself. So they began with the elders in the court.

Utterly destroy old and young, maidens, children and women: but upon whomsoever you shall see Thau, kill him not, and begin ye at my sanctuary. So they began at the ancient men who were before the house.

Et dixit ad eos: Contaminate domum, et implete atria interfectis; egredimini. Et egressi sunt, et percutiebant eos qui erant in civitate.

Desecrate yonder temple, said he, and fill its precincts with the slain; then go out on your errand. So out they went, and now it was on the city their strokes came.

And he said to them: Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew them that were in the city.

Et cæde completa, remansi ego, ruique super faciem meam, et clamans aio: Heu! heu! heu! Domine Deus: ergone disperdes omnes reliquias Israël, effundens furorem tuum super Jerusalem?

And I, left alone amid that carnage, fell face to earth; Alas, alas, Lord God, cried I, wilt thou destroy all the poor remnant of Israel, pouring out thy vengeance on Jerusalem thus?

And the slaughter being ended I was left: and I fell upon my face, and crying, I said: Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God, wilt thou then destroy all the remnant of Israel, by pouring out thy fury upon Jerusalem?

Et dixit ad me: Iniquitas domus Israël et Juda magna est nimis valde, et repleta est terra sanguinibus, et civitas repleta est aversione: dixerunt enim: Dereliquit Dominus terram, et Dominus non videt.

Nay, he told me, the guilt of Israel and Juda is past bound or measure; all bloodshed the country-side, the city all wrong-doing; The Lord has forsaken the land for good and all, say they; fear is none the Lord will see it.

And he said to me: The iniquity of the house of Israel, and of Juda, is exceeding great, and the land is filled with blood, and the city is filled with perverseness: for they have said: The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.

Igitur et meus non parcet oculus, neque miserebor: viam eorum super caput eorum reddam.

And should eye of mine melt with pity? Nay, they shall rue yet the false paths they have taken.

Therefore neither shall my eye spare, nor will I have pity: I will requite their way upon their head.

Et ecce vir qui erat indutus lineis, qui habebat atramentarium in dorso suo, respondit verbum, dicens: Feci sicut præcepisti mihi.

And sure enough, the man clad in linen stood there with the ink-horn at his side to give account of himself, and reported, I have done thy errand.

And behold the man that was clothed with linen, that had the inkhorn at his back, returned the word, saying: I have done as thou hast commanded me.