Ezekiel 9

1 And He crieth in mine ears — a loud voice — saying, 'Drawn near have inspectors of the city, and each his destroying weapon in his hand.'

Then I heard him shout out with a loud voice, “Start the attack, you who are in charge of punishing Jerusalem! Pick up your weapons!”

2 And lo, six men are coming from the way of the upper gate, that is facing the north, and each 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 brazen altar.

I watched as six men approached from the upper gate that faces north. All of them were carrying battle axes. There was another man with them. He was dressed in linen and had a scribe's writing kit at his side. They entered and stood next to the bronze altar.

3 And the honour of the God of Israel hath gone up from off the cherub, on which it hath been, unto the threshold of the house.

The glory of the God of Israel rose from its usual place on the cherubim and went over to the Temple entrance. The Lord called out to the man dressed in linen with the writing kit,

4 And He calleth unto the man who is clothed with linen, who hath the scribe's inkhorn at his loins, and Jehovah saith unto him, 'Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Jerusalem, and thou hast 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.'

“Go through the whole the city of Jerusalem and place a mark on the foreheads of those who sighing and mourning at all the disgusting sins that are done there.”

5 And to the others he said in mine ears, 'Pass on into the city after him, and smite; your eye doth not pity, nor do ye spare;

Then I heard him tell the others, “Follow him all through the city and start killing people. Don't be kind or merciful to anyone!

6 aged, young man, and virgin, and infant, and women, ye do slay — to destruction; and against any man on whom [is] the mark ye do not go nigh, and from My sanctuary ye begin.'

Kill the old men, the young men and girls, the women and children, but do not go anywhere near those who have the mark. Start at my sanctuary.” So they started by killing the elders who were in front of the Temple.

7 And they begin among the aged men who [are] before the house, and He saith unto them, 'Defile the house, and fill the courts with the wounded, go forth.' And they have gone forth and have smitten in the city.

Then he told them, “Make the Temple unclean and fill the courtyards with dead bodies. Go ahead and do it!” So they went and started killing all through the city.

8 And it cometh to pass, as they are smiting, and I — I am left — that I fall on my face, and cry, and say, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, art Thou destroying all the remnant of Israel, in Thy pouring out Thy wrath on Jerusalem?'

While they were busy killing people, I was left by myself. I fell facedown to the ground and cried out, “Lord God, when you pour out your anger on Jerusalem, are you going to destroy everyone who's left in Israel?”

9 And He saith unto me, 'The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] very very great, and the land is full of blood, and the city hath been full of perverseness, for they have said: Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah is not seeing.

“The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are really terrible,” he replied. “The whole country is full of murderers, and those living in the city are criminals. They're saying, ‘The Lord has given up on our country. He can't see what we're doing.’

10 And I also, Mine eye doth not pity, nor do I spare; their way on their own head I have put.'

But I certainly won't be kind to them or have mercy on them. I will make sure they suffer the consequences of what they've done.”

11 And lo, the man clothed with linen, at whose loins [is] the inkhorn, is bringing back word, saying, 'I have done as Thou hast commanded me.'

Then the man in linen with the writing kit returned and reported, “I've done what you told me to do.”