2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered: I see a megillah flying; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
3 Then said he unto me, This is ha'alah (the curse) that goeth forth over the face of kol ha'aretz; for every ganav that stealeth shall be purged out [i.e., banished] according to what it says on one side of the megillah; and every perjurer that sweareth falsely shall be purged out according to what it says on the other side. [Shemot 20:15,7]
4 I will send it [ha'alah, the curse] forth, saith Hashem Tzva'os, and it shall enter into the bais haganav, and into the bais of him that sweareth falsely biShmi (by My Name); and it [ha'alah] shall remain inside his bais, and shall destroy it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
5 Then the malach that spoke with me came forward, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that cometh into view.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the eifah (measuring basket) going out. He said moreover, This is their [i.e., that of ganavim and perjurors] appearance throughout kol ha'aretz.
7 And, hinei, there was lifted up a lead cover; and there was an isha (woman) yoshevet (sitting) inside the eifah (measuring basket)!
8 And he said, This is HaRishah (The Wickedness). And he pushed her inside the eifah; and he pushed the lead cover over the mouth of the eifah.