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."

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

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 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.

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 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,

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."

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.

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 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:

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.

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.

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, Make the house unclean, make the open places full of dead: go forward and send destruction on the town.

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?"

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?

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 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.

10 As for me also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way on their head."

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.

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."

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.