Ezekiel 9
1 Then I heard him shout out with a loud voice, “Start the attack, you who are in charge of punishing Jerusalem! Pick up your weapons!”
And he criede in myn eeris with greet vois, and seide, The visityngis of the citee han neiyed, and ech man hath in his hond an instrument of sleyng.
2 I watched as six men approached from the upper gate that faces north. All of them were carrying battle axes. There was another man with them. He was dressed in linen and had a scribe's writing kit at his side. They entered and stood next to the bronze altar.
And lo! sixe men camen fro the weie of the hiyere yate, that biholdith to the north, and the instrument of deth of ech man was in his hond; also o man in the myddis of hem was clothid with lynnun clothis, and a pennere of a writere at hise reynes; and thei entriden, and stoden bisidis the brasun auter.
3 The glory of the God of Israel rose from its usual place on the cherubim and went over to the Temple entrance. The Lord called out to the man dressed in linen with the writing kit,
And the glorie of the Lord of Israel was takun vp fro cherub, which glorie was on it, to the threisfold of the hous; and the Lord clepide the man that was clothid with lynun clothis, and hadde a pennere of a writere in hise leendis.
4 “Go through the whole the city of Jerusalem and place a mark on the foreheads of those who sighing and mourning at all the disgusting sins that are done there.”
And the Lord seide to hym, Passe thou bi the myddis of the citee, in the myddis of Jerusalem, and marke thou Thau on the forhedis of men weilynge and sorewynge on alle abhomynaciouns that ben doon in the myddis therof.
5 Then I heard him tell the others, “Follow him all through the city and start killing people. Don't be kind or merciful to anyone!
And he seide to hem in myn heryng, Go ye thorouy the citee, and sue ye hym, and smytte ye; youre iye spare not, nether do ye merci.
6 Kill the old men, the young men and girls, the women and children, but do not go anywhere near those who have the mark. Start at my sanctuary.” So they started by killing the elders who were in front of the Temple.
Sle ye til to deth, an eld man, a yong man, and a virgyn, a litil child, and wymmen; but sle ye not ony man, on whom ye seen Thau; and bigynne ye at my seyntuarie. Therfore thei bigunnen at the eldere men, that weren bifore the face of the hous.
7 Then he told them, “Make the Temple unclean and fill the courtyards with dead bodies. Go ahead and do it!” So they went and started killing all through the city.
And he seide to hem, Defoule ye the hous, and fille ye the hallis with slayn men; go ye out. And thei yeden out, and killiden hem that weren in the citee.
8 While they were busy killing people, I was left by myself. I fell facedown to the ground and cried out, “Lord God, when you pour out your anger on Jerusalem, are you going to destroy everyone who's left in Israel?”
And lo! whanne the sleyng was fillid, Y was left. And Y felle doun on my face, and Y criede, and seide, Alas! alas! alas! Lord God, therfor whether thou schalt leese alle remenauntis of Israel, and schalt schede out thi stronge veniaunce on Jerusalem?
9 “The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are really terrible,” he replied. “The whole country is full of murderers, and those living in the city are criminals. They're saying, ‘The Lord has given up on our country. He can't see what we're doing.’
And he seide to me, The wickidnesse of the hous of Israel and of Juda is ful greet, and the lond is fillid of bloodis, and the citee is fillid with turnyng awei; for thei seiden, The Lord hath forsake the lond, and the Lord seeth not.
10 But I certainly won't be kind to them or have mercy on them. I will make sure they suffer the consequences of what they've done.”
Therfor and myn iye schal not spare, nether Y schal do merci; Y schal yelde the weie of hem on the heed of hem.
11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit returned and reported, “I've done what you told me to do.”
And lo! the man that was clothid in lynun clothis, that hadde a pennere in his bak, answeride a word, and seide, Y haue do, as thou comaundidist to me.
