Ezekiel 9

1 Then crying out in my hearing in a loud voice, he said, Let the overseers of the town come near, every man armed.

He cried also, in my hearing, with a loud voice, saying: Bring ye near the punishments of the city, every one his weapon of destruction in his hand.

2 And six men came from the way of the higher doorway looking to the north, every man with his axe in his hand: and one man among them was clothed in linen, with a writer's inkpot at his side. And they went in and took their places by the brass altar.

And lo, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which looketh toward the north, every one with his slaughter-weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's ink-horn by his side; and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.

3 And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the winged ones on which it was resting, to the doorstep of the house. And crying out to the man clothed in linen who had the writer's inkpot at his side,

And the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub upon which it was to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's ink-horn by his side;

4 The Lord said to him, Go through the town, through the middle of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the brows of the men who are sorrowing and crying for all the disgusting things which are done in it.

and Jehovah said to 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 wail for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof.

5 And to these he said in my hearing, Go through the town after him using your axes: do not let your eyes have mercy, and have no pity:

And to the others he said, in my hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite! let not your eyes spare, neither have ye pity!

6 Give up to destruction old men and young men and virgins, little children and women: but do not come near any man who has the mark on him: and make a start at my holy place. So they made a start with the old men who were before the house.

The old man, the youth, the virgin, little children and women, slay and destroy; but come not near any one upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then began they at the elders that were before the house.

7 And he said to them, Make the house unclean, make the open places full of dead: go forward and send destruction on the town.

And he said to them, Pollute the house, and fill the courts with the slain, then go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

8 Now while they were doing so, and I was untouched, I went down on my face, and crying out, I said, Ah, Lord! will you give all the rest of Israel to destruction in letting loose your wrath on Jerusalem?

And while they were smiting them, I alone was left; and I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! wilt thou destroy all the remnant of Israel, while thou pourest out thy fury upon Jerusalem?

9 Then he said to me, The sin of the children of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is full of blood and the town full of evil ways: for they say, The Lord has gone away from the land, and the Lord does not see.

And he said to me: The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness. For they say, “Jehovah hath forsaken the land”; and, “Jehovah seeth not.”

10 And as for me, my eye will not have mercy, and I will have no pity, but I will send the punishment of their ways on their heads.

Therefore mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity. Their way will I recompense upon their head.

11 Then the man clothed in linen, who had the inkpot at his side, came back and said, I have done what you gave me orders to do.

And lo, the man clothed with linen, who had the ink-horn by his side, returned answer, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.