< Ezekiel 9 >

1 And he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Draw near, ye that have charge of the city, and every man [with] his destroying weapon in his hand.
And he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, The judgement of the city has drawn near; and each had the weapons of destruction in his hand.
2 And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which is turned toward the north, and every man [with] his slaughter weapon in his hand; and in the midst of them, one man clothed with linen, with a writer's ink-horn by his side; and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.
And, behold, six men came from the way of the high gate that looks towards 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 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon 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;
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 and Jehovah 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 are done in the midst thereof.
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 to the others he said in my hearing, Go after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have pity.
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 Slay utterly the old man, the young man, and the maiden, 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 elders who were before the house.
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 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go forth. And they went forth, and smote in the city.
And he said to them, Defile the house, and go out and fill the ways with dead bodies, and strike.
8 And it came to pass, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! wilt thou destroy all the remnant of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
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 And he said 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, Jehovah hath forsaken the earth, and Jehovah seeth not.
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 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense their way upon their head.
Therefore mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have any mercy: I have recompensed their ways upon their heads.
11 And behold, the man clothed with linen, who had the ink-horn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.
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.

< Ezekiel 9 >