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 cries [with] a loud voice in my ears, saying, “Inspectors of the city have drawn near, and each [with] his destroying weapon 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 are coming from the way of the upper gate, that is facing the north, and each [with] his slaughter-weapon in his hand, and one man in their midst is clothed with linen, and a scribe’s inkhorn at his loins, and they come in, and stand near the bronze 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 has gone up from off the cherub, on which it has been, to the threshold of the house.
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 He calls to the man who is clothed with linen, who has the scribe’s inkhorn at his loins, and YHWH says to him, “Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Jerusalem, and you have made a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and who are groaning for all the abominations that are done in its midst.”
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 to the others he said in my ears, “Pass on into the city after him, and strike; your eye does not pity, nor do you spare;
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.
aged, young man, and virgin, and infant, and women, you slay—to destruction; and against any man on whom [is] the mark you do not go near, and you begin from My sanctuary.”
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 they begin among the aged men who [are] before the house, and He says to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the wounded, go forth.” And they have gone forth and have struck in the city.
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 comes to pass, as they are striking, and I am left—that I fall on my face, and cry, and say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, are You destroying all the remnant of Israel, in Your pouring out Your wrath on 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!'
And He says to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] very, very great, and the land is full of blood, and the city has been full of perverseness, for they have said: YHWH has forsaken the land, and YHWH is not seeing.
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.”
And I also, My eye does not pity, nor do I spare; I have put their way on their own head.”
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 linen, at whose loins [is] the inkhorn, is bringing back word, saying, “I have done as You have commanded me.”
