Ezekiel 9

Ezekiel 8 is here. It has been a few months. I had forgotten.

Who is who? What is the nature of the striking? How many groups are defined by the graffiti? Funny word graffiti - but mark I have used elsewhere. Mark is a dark sound. The word is used of David when he feigned madness to escape 1 Samuel 21. There I rendered it graffiti - a light sound. (The acrostic Psalm 34 is relevant here.)

I have much respect for my honest atheist friends and relations (my name is Rabbit). Really, honest atheism is more honest than dishonest and fearful believers whose convictions have no courage. That is why we start at the sanctuary where the bending is pronounced. Aye yai yai, who will escape! Is there any Yahweh to see?

I had better answer that question. Yes, Virginia. Appropriate to the season.

I have to justify as well why I chose strike for traditional smite, and profane for all those places where slay, kill etc are used in other translations. Well, death is a complex problem. And we read into it what we choose.

Mission Control, I don't know if I am ready for theological conclusions... (MC: Get on with it.)

Yes, the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, is real. The judgment of the earth: the scientists, the politicians, the conservatives, and the liberals have nowhere to place their unknowns if there is no Becoming.

Those bound by time, bound by the imaginary numbers embedded in 4th dimensional mathematics, bound by the just out of reach market, pondering how many houses can be lit by one bitcoin, cannot say what will happen tomorrow. Why should we believe them today? Yet these can and do judge. It is in our mandate as scientists and politicians to decide our fate. Do I need to list what is undefinable, beauty, love, holiness, quality, kindness? Bend in this direction and do not lose hope. Then we bend in the direction of the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, this eternal glorious heaviness.

We will have to wait for the conclusion of these dream visions...

Ezekiel 9		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיִּקְרָ֣א בְאָזְנַ֗י ק֤וֹל גָּדוֹל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר קָרְב֖וּ פְּקֻדּ֣וֹת הָעִ֑יר וְאִ֛ישׁ כְּלִ֥י מַשְׁחֵת֖וֹ בְּיָדֽוֹ	1		And he called in my ears with a great voice, saying, Have those entrusted with the city brought near, and each his instrument of destruction in his hand.	3d	4C	18 10
וְהִנֵּ֣ה שִׁשָּׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֡ים בָּאִ֣ים ׀ מִדֶּרֶךְ־שַׁ֨עַר הָעֶלְי֜וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ מָפְנֶ֣ה צָפ֗וֹנָה וְאִ֨ישׁ כְּלִ֤י מַפָּצוֹ֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ וְאִישׁ־אֶחָ֤ד בְּתוֹכָם֙ לָבֻ֣שׁ בַּדִּ֔ים וְקֶ֥סֶת הַסֹּפֵ֖ר בְּמָתְנָ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ וַיַּ֣עַמְד֔וּ אֵ֖צֶל מִזְבַּ֥ח הַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת	2		And behold six men coming from the way of the higher gate that faced northward, and each his instrument of smashing in his hand, and one man among them clothed with linen and an ink well of a scribe on his waist, and they came and they stood next to the altar of brass.	3e	4C	55 14
וּכְב֣וֹד ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נַעֲלָה֙ מֵעַ֤ל הַכְּרוּב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה עָלָ֔יו אֶ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶל־הָאִישׁ֙ הַלָּבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר קֶ֥סֶת הַסֹּפֵ֖ר בְּמָתְנָֽיו	3		And the glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub, that he had been on, to the sill of the house, and he called to the man clothed with linen who had the ink well of a scribe on his waist.	3d	4C	27 22
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו עֲבֹר֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר בְּת֖וֹךְ יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהִתְוִ֨יתָ תָּ֜ו עַל־מִצְח֣וֹת הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַנֶּֽאֱנָחִים֙ וְהַנֶּ֣אֱנָקִ֔ים עַ֚ל כָּל־הַתּ֣וֹעֵב֔וֹת הַֽנַּעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּתוֹכָֽהּ	4		And Yahweh said to him, Pass through into the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem. Scratch graffiti on the foreheads of those sighing and groaning over all the abominations being done in her midst.	3e	4C	19 36
וּלְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ אָמַ֣ר בְּאָזְנַ֔י עִבְר֥וּ בָעִ֛יר אַחֲרָ֖יו וְהַכּ֑וּ אַל־תָּחֹ֥ס עֵינְכֶ֖ם וְאַל־תַּחְמֹֽלוּ	5		And to these he said in my ears, Pass through in the city after him, and strike. Do not let your eye spare and show no pity.	3d	4B	18 10
זָקֵ֡ן בָּח֣וּר וּבְתוּלָה֩ וְטַ֨ף וְנָשִׁ֜ים תַּהַרְג֣וּ לְמַשְׁחִ֗ית וְעַל־כָּל־אִ֨ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָלָ֤יו הַתָּו֙ אַל־תִּגַּ֔שׁוּ וּמִמִּקְדָּשִׁ֖י תָּחֵ֑לּוּ וַיָּחֵ֙לּוּ֙ בָּאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הַזְּקֵנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י הַבָּֽיִת	6		Old, young man, or maiden, and little ones, and women you will slay for destruction, but over everyone on whom is the graffiti, you are not to make overture, and from my sanctuary you will start. And they started among the elders that were before the house.	3e	4C	40 18
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם טַמְּא֣וּ אֶת־הַבַּ֗יִת וּמַלְא֧וּ אֶת־הַחֲצֵר֛וֹת חֲלָלִ֖ים צֵ֑אוּ וְיָצְא֖וּ וְהִכּ֥וּ בָעִֽיר	7		And he said to them, Defile the house and fill the courts with the profaned. Go forth. And they went forth and struck in the city.	3c	4B	25 8
וַֽיְהִי֙ כְּהַכּוֹתָ֔ם וְנֵֽאשֲׁאַ֖ר אָ֑נִי וָאֶפְּלָ֨ה עַל־פָּנַ֜י וָאֶזְעַ֗ק וָֽאֹמַר֙ אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הֲמַשְׁחִ֣ית אַתָּ֗ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּשָׁפְכְּךָ֥ אֶת־חֲמָתְךָ֖ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם	8		And it happened as they were striking them, and I was residue, I fell on my face and appealed, and I said, Aye yai yai, my Lord Yahweh, will you have all the residue of Israel destroyed by pouring out your heat on Jerusalem?	3e	4C	12 45
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י עֲוֺ֨ן בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל וִֽיהוּדָה֙ גָּדוֹל֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וַתִּמָּלֵ֤א הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ דָּמִ֔ים וְהָעִ֖יר מָלְאָ֣ה מֻטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אָמְר֗וּ עָזַ֤ב יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֵ֥ין יְהוָ֖ה רֹאֶֽה	9		And he said to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very very great, and the land is filled with blood, and the city full of bending, for they say, Yahweh has forsaken the earth, and there is no Yahweh to see.	3e	4C	36 17
וְגַ֨ם־אֲנִ֔י לֹא־תָח֥וֹס עֵינִ֖י וְלֹ֣א אֶחְמֹ֑ל דַּרְכָּ֖ם בְּרֹאשָׁ֥ם נָתָֽתִּי	10		And even I will not spare my eye nor will I show pity. Their way on their head I will assign.	3e	4B	12 8
וְהִנֵּ֞ה הָאִ֣ישׁ ׀ לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הַקֶּ֙סֶת֙ בְּמָתְנָ֔יו מֵשִׁ֥יב דָּבָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר עָשִׂ֕יתִי כְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתָֽנִי	11		And behold, the man clothed with linen who had the ink well on his waist returned a word, saying, I have done everything you commanded me.	3e	4C	24 11