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.”

And he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, The judgment of the city has drawn near; and each had the weapons of destruction in his 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.

And, behold, six men came from the way of the high gate that looks toward the north, and each one's axe was in his hand; and there was one man in the midst of them clothed with a long robe down to the feet, and a sapphire girdle was on his loins: and they came in and stood near the brazen 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.

And the glory of the God of Israel, that was upon them, went up from the cherubs to the porch of the house. And he called the man that was clothed with the long robe, who had the girdle on his loins;

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.”

And said to him, Go through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that groan and that grieve for all the iniquities that are done in the midst of them.

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!

And he said to the first in my hearing, Go after him into the city, and strike: and let not your eyes spare, and have no mercy.

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.

Slay utterly old man and youth, and virgin, and infants, and women: but go you not near any on whom is the mark: begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the elder men who were within in the house.

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.

And he said to them, Defile the house, and go out and fill the ways with dead bodies, and strike.

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?”

And it came to pass as they were striking, that I fell upon my face, and cried out, and said, Alas, O Lord! will you destroy the remnant of Israel, in pouring out your wrath upon Jerusalem?

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.’

Then said he to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Juda is become very exceedingly great: for the land is filled with many nations, and the city is filled with iniquity and uncleanness: because they have said, The Lord has forsaken the earth, The Lord looks not upon [it].

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.”

Therefore mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have any mercy: I have recompensed their ways upon their heads.

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

And, behold, the man clothed with the long robe, and girded with the girdle about his loins, answered and said, I have done as you did command me.