וָאָשׁ֕וּב וָאֶשָּׂ֥א עֵינַ֖י וָֽאֶרְאֶ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֖ה מְגִלָּ֥ה עָפָֽה׃ I looked up again, and I saw a flying scroll.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲנִ֤י רֹאֶה֙ מְגִלָּ֣ה עָפָ֔ה אׇרְכָּהּ֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה וְרׇחְבָּ֖הּ עֶ֥שֶׂר בָּאַמָּֽה׃ “What do you see?” he asked. And I replied, “A flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י זֹ֚את הָֽאָלָ֔ה הַיּוֹצֵ֖את עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כׇל־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י כׇל־הַגֹּנֵ֗ב מִזֶּה֙ כָּמ֣וֹהָ נִקָּ֔ה וְכׇ֨ל־הַנִּשְׁבָּ֔ע מִזֶּ֖ה כָּמ֥וֹהָ נִקָּֽה׃ “That,” he explained to me, “is the curse that goes out over the whole land. For everyone who has stolen, as is forbidden on one side [of the scroll], has gone unpunished; and everyone who has sworn [falsely], as is forbidden on the other side of it, has gone unpunished.aFor everyone who has stolen … and everyone who has sworn … has gone unpunished Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
הוֹצֵאתִ֗יהָ נְאֻם֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּבָ֙אָה֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַגַּנָּ֔ב וְאֶל־בֵּ֛ית הַנִּשְׁבָּ֥ע בִּשְׁמִ֖י לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וְלָ֙נֶה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ בֵּית֔וֹ וְכִלַּ֖תּוּ וְאֶת־עֵצָ֥יו וְאֶת־אֲבָנָֽיו׃ [But] I have sent it forth—declares GOD of Hosts—and [the curse] shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name, and it shall lodge inside their houses and shall consume them to the last timber and stone.”
וַיֵּצֵ֕א הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י שָׂ֣א נָ֤א עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מָ֖ה הַיּוֹצֵ֥את הַזֹּֽאת׃ Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said, “Now look up and note this other object that is approaching.”
וָאֹמַ֖ר מַה־הִ֑יא וַיֹּ֗אמֶר זֹ֤את הָֽאֵיפָה֙ הַיּוֹצֵ֔את וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֹ֥את עֵינָ֖ם בְּכׇל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “This tubbtub Heb. ephah, a measure of capacity. that is approaching—this,” said he, “is their eyeceye Septuagint and Syriac read “guilt.” in all the land.”
וְהִנֵּ֛ה כִּכַּ֥ר עֹפֶ֖רֶת נִשֵּׂ֑את וְזֹאת֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה אַחַ֔ת יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בְּת֥וֹךְ הָאֵיפָֽה׃ And behold, a disk of lead was lifted, revealing a female figuredfemale figure Apparently a purported goddess or her idol; cf. v. 11. seated inside the tub.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ זֹ֣את הָרִשְׁעָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ אֹתָ֖הּ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הָֽאֵיפָ֑ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֛ךְ אֶת־אֶ֥בֶן הָעוֹפֶ֖רֶת אֶל־פִּֽיהָ׃ {ס} “That,” he said, “is Wickedness”; and, thrusting her back inside the tub, he pressed the leaden weight into the tub’s mouth.
וָאֶשָּׂ֨א עֵינַ֜י וָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּה֩ שְׁתַּ֨יִם נָשִׁ֤ים יֽוֹצְאוֹת֙ וְר֣וּחַ בְּכַנְפֵיהֶ֔ם וְלָהֵ֥נָּה כְנָפַ֖יִם כְּכַנְפֵ֣י הַחֲסִידָ֑ה וַתִּשֶּׂ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵיפָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין הָאָ֖רֶץ וּבֵ֥ין הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ I looked up again and saw two female figures come soaring with the wind in their wings—they had wings like those of a stork—and carry off the tub between earth and sky.
וָאֹמַ֕ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י אָ֛נָה הֵ֥מָּה מֽוֹלִכ֖וֹת אֶת־הָאֵיפָֽה׃ “Where are they taking the tub?” I asked the angel who talked with me.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י לִבְנֽוֹת־לָ֥הֿ בַ֖יִת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁנְעָ֑ר וְהוּכַ֛ן וְהֻנִּ֥יחָה שָּׁ֖ם עַל־מְכֻנָתָֽהּ׃ {פ}
And he answered, “To build a shrine for iteit Or “her”; cf. vv. 7–8 and Ibn Ezra. in the land of Shinar;fShinar I.e., Babylonia; cf. Gen. 10.10; 11.2, 9. [a stand] shall be erected for it, and itgit Or “she”; cf. vv. 7–8. shall be set down there upon the stand.”