Ezekiel 9

1 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.”

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.”

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 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

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 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.

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 its courtyards with the dead. Proceed!” So they went out and attacked the city.

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

8 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?”

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 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!'

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

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

11 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.”

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.