Ezekiel 9

1 Then I heard Him call out in a loud voice, saying, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with a weapon of destruction in hand.”

2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, each with a weapon of slaughter in his hand. With them was another man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Then the glory of the God of Israel rose from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side.

4 “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”

5 And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone!

6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

7 Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

8 While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord GOD, when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem, will You destroy the entire remnant of Israel?”

9 He replied, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.’

10 But as for Me, I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. I will bring their deeds down upon their own heads.”

11 Then the man clothed in linen with the writing kit at his side reported back, “I have done as You commanded.”

1 ¶ He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man [with] his destroying weapon in his hand.

2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them [was] clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which [had] the writer's inkhorn by his side;

4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

5 ¶ And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

6 Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which [were] before the house.

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

8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, [but] I will recompense their way upon their head.

11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which [had] the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

1 And he cried with a loud voice in mine ears, saying, Let the visitation of the city come near, and let every man have a murderous weapon in his hand.

2 And, behold, there came six men by the way from the upper gate, which is toward the north, every one having a pestilent weapon in his hand. But there was one of them that had on linen, and a writing instrument by his side. So they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 And the glory of the God of Israel rose up from the cherub that was over it unto the threshold of the house, and called unto him that had the linen on, and the writing by his side.

4 And the LORD said unto him, Pass through the city of Jerusalem, and mark with a sign in the foreheads the men that sigh and lament for all the abominations that are done therein.

5 And he said unto them, that I might hear it, Go after this man through the city, and smite thee: let not thine eyes spare nor overlook.

6 Slay both old men, and young men, and virgins, and children, and women, all dead: but them that have the mark upon them touch none of them. But begin at my sanctuary! And they began at the old men that were before the house.

7 And he said unto them: Defile the house, and make the courts full of dead bodies; come out. And they went out, and smote in the city.

8 And when they had struck out, I was left. And I fell on my face, and cried, saying, O Lord GOD, wilt thou destroy all the remnant of Israel, and pour out thy wrath upon Jerusalem?

9 And he said unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and of Judah is too great: there is violence in the land, and iniquity in the city. For they say: The LORD hath forsaken the land, and the LORD looketh not upon us.

10 Therefore also mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have mercy, but I will cast their doings upon their heads.

11 And, behold, the man that had the linen on, and the writing by his side, answered and said: I have done as thou hast commanded me.