Ezekiel 9

1 Then I heard Yahweh call out loudly, “[You men who are going to punish this city, ] bring here the guards of the city, each carrying a weapon.”

He cried also in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man [with] his destroying weapon in his hand.

2 Then I saw six men coming from the north gate of the temple area. Each one was carrying a weapon. With them was a man wearing a white linen robe. [carried] at his side a case containing things to write with. They [all] came into the temple and stood beside the bronze altar.

And behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth towards the north, and every man a slaughter-weapon in his hand; and one man among them [was] clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in and stood beside the brazen altar.

3 [Then] the (glory/dazzling light) [that symbolized the presence] of the God of Israel rose up from above the four winged creatures and moved to the entrance of the temple. Then Yahweh called to the man wearing the linen robe,

And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which he was, to the threshhold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, who [had] the writer's inkhorn by his side;

4 and said to him, “Go throughout Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who are very sad [DOU] because of the detestable things that are being done inside the city.”

And the LORD said to 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 of it.

5 While I was listening, he said to the other six men, “Follow the man wearing the white robe, and kill people. Do not pity them or act mercifully toward them.

And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

6 Slaughter old men, young men and women, older women and children, but do not harm any of those who have that mark on their forehead. Start at my temple.” So they began by killing the elders who were [worshiping idols] in front of the temple.

Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, 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 elderly men who [were] before the house.

7 Then Yahweh said to those men, “Pollute the temple by filling the [with the corpses of those whom] you kill! Start now!” So they went out and starting killing people throughout the city.

And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

8 While they were doing that, I was left alone. I prostrated myself on the ground and cried out, “Yahweh my Lord, are you going to get rid of all the people of Israel and Judah who are still alive, while you are severely punishing [MTY] [the people of] Jerusalem?”

And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

9 He replied, “The sins of the people [MTY] of Israel and Judah are extremely great. People are murdered [MTY] everywhere [in this country], and this city is full of [people who act] unjustly. They say, ‘Yahweh has abandoned this country, and he does not [what we are doing].’

Then said he to 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, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

10 [So] I will not pity them or act mercifully toward them. I will do to them the evil things that they have done to other people.”

And as for me also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, [but] I will recompense their way upon their head.

11 Then the man wearing the linen robe returned, saying, “I have done what you commanded me to do.”

And behold, the man clothed with linen, who [had] the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.