9
1 Then
he cried in
my ears with a
loud voice, saying,
“Cause those who
are in charge
of the city
to draw near,
each man with
his destroying
weapon in his
hand.”
2 Behold,
six men came from
the way of
the upper gate,
which lies toward
the north, every
man with his
slaughter weapon
in his hand.
One man in
the middle of
them was clothed
in linen, with a
writer’s inkhorn
by his side.
They went in,
and stood beside
the bronze altar.
3 The
glory of the God
of Israel went
up from the
cherub, whereupon it
was, to the
threshold of the
house; and he
called to the man
clothed in linen,
who had the
writer’s inkhorn
by his side.
4 The
LORD said to him,
“Go through the
middle of the
city, through the
middle of
Jerusalem, and set
a mark on
the foreheads of
the men that sigh
and that cry over
all the
abominations that
are done within
it.”
5 To
the others he said
in my hearing, “Go
through the city
after him, and
strike. Don’t let your
eye spare, neither
have pity.
6 Kill
utterly the old
man, the young man,
the virgin, little
children and women;
but don’t come
near any man
on whom is
the mark. Begin
at my sanctuary.”
Then they began
at the old
men who were
before the house.
7 He
said to them, “Defile
the house, and
fill the courts
with the slain.
Go out!”
They went out,
and struck in
the city.
8 While
they were killing,
and I was
left, I fell
on my face,
and cried,
and said, “Ah Lord
GOD! Will you
destroy all the
residue of Israel
in your pouring
out of your
wrath on
Jerusalem?”
9 Then
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 perversion;
for they say, ‘The
LORD has forsaken
the land, and the
LORD doesn’t see.’
10 As
for me also,
my eye won’t spare,
neither will I
have pity, but
I will bring
their way on
their head.”
11 Behold,
the man clothed
in linen, who had
the inkhorn by
his side, reported
the matter, saying,
“I have done
as you have
commanded me.”