Ezekiel 9

1 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, "Cause those who are in charge of the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his 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 Look, six men came from the way of the Upper Gate, which lies toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in their midst clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. They went 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 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 in linen, who had the writer's inkhorn 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 The LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in its midst."

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 To the others he said in my hearing, "Go through the city after him, and strike: do not let 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 kill utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but do not come near any man on whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary." Then they began at the old men that 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 He said to them, "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth." They went forth, and struck in the city.

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

8 It happened, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell on my face, and cried, and said, "Ah, LORD. Will you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your wrath on 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 Then 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 perversion: for they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD doesn't 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 As for me also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way on their head."

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

11 Look, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, "I have done as you have 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.