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.”

He cried also, in my hearing, with a loud voice, saying: Bring ye near the punishments of the city, every one his weapon 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 lo, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which looketh toward the north, every one with his slaughter-weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's ink-horn by his side; and they went in, and stood beside 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 went up from the cherub upon which it was to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's ink-horn by his side;

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 Jehovah 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 wail for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof.

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 hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite! let not your eyes spare, neither have ye pity!

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.

The old man, the youth, the virgin, little children and women, slay and destroy; but come not near any one upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then began they at the elders that were before 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, Pollute the house, and fill the courts with the slain, then go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew 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 while they were smiting them, I alone was left; and I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! wilt thou destroy all the remnant of Israel, while thou pourest out thy fury 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!'

And 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 perverseness. For they say, “Jehovah hath forsaken the land”; and, “Jehovah seeth not.”

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 pity. Their way will I recompense upon their 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 lo, the man clothed with linen, who had the ink-horn by his side, returned answer, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.