Ezekiel 9

1 And he called before my ears with a loud voice, saying, Let those come near that have charge to punish the city, and every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

Then he cried in my hearing with a loud voice, and said, “Let the guards come up to the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.”

2 And, behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which is turned toward the north, and every man with his weapon of destruction in his hand; and one man in the midst of them was clothed in linen, with a writer's materials by his side: and they went in, and placed themselves beside the copper altar.

Then behold! Six men came from the pathway of the upper gate that faces north, each with his weapon of slaughter in his hand. There was a man in their midst dressed in linen with a scribe's equipment at his side. So they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 And the glory of the God of Israel ascended up from the cherub, whereupon it had been, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer's materials by his side.

Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherubim where it had been to the threshold of the house. He called to the man dressed in linen who had the scribe's equipment at his side.

4 And the Lord said unto him, Pass through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and inscribe a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and who complain because of all the abominations which are done in the midst of it.

Yahweh said to him, “Pass through the midst of the city—the midst of Jerusalem—and make a mark on the foreheads of those who groan and sigh about all the abominations being performed in the midst of the city.”

5 And to the others he said before my ears, Pass ye through the city after him, and smite: let your eye not look with pity, and do not spare;

Then he spoke to the others within my hearing, “Pass through the city after him and kill. Do not let your eyes have compassion, and do not spare

6 The aged, youth, and virgin, and little children, and women shall ye slay and destroy; but come not near any man upon whom the mark is; and at my sanctuary shall ye begin. Then they began with the ancient men who were before the house.

either old man, young man, virgin, little children or women. Kill all of them! But do not approach anyone who has the mark on his head. Begin at my sanctuary!” So they began with the elders who were in front of the house.

7 And he said unto them, Make unclean the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go forth. And they went forth, and they smote in the city.

He said to them, “Defile the house, and fill its courtyards with the dead. Proceed!” So they went out and attacked the city.

8 And it came to pass, while they were smiting them, and I alone was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried out, and said, Ah Lord Eternal! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel when thou pourest out thy fury over Jerusalem?

As they were attacking it, I found myself alone and I fell on my face and cried out and said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh, will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and of Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood-guiltiness, and the city full of injustice; for they have said, The Lord hath forsaken the land, and the Lord seeth not.

He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood and the city full of perversions, since they say, 'Yahweh has forgotten the land,' and 'Yahweh does not see!'

10 And as for me also, my eye shall not look with pity, and I will not spare; but I will bring their course upon their own head.

So then, my eye will not look with compassion, and I will not spare them. I will instead bring it all on their heads.”

11 And, behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the writing materials by his side, brought back word, saying, I have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.

Behold! The man dressed in linen who had the scribe's equipment by his side came back. He reported and said, “I have done all that you have commanded.”