Ezekiel 9

1 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.”

Then cried he in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Draw near ye that have charge of the city, -even every man with his weapon of destruction in his hand.

2 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.

And lo! six men coming in out of the way of the upper gate which looketh toward the north even every man with his destructive weapon in his hand, and one man in their midst clothed with linen, having a scribe’s ink holder by his side, —so they came in and stood beside the altar of bronze.

3 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.

And the glory of the God of Israel lifted itself up from off the cherub whereon it had been, unto the threshold of the house, —and he called unto the man clothed with linen, who had the scribe’s ink holder by his side.

4 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.”

Then said Yahweh unto him. Pass along through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, —and set thou a mark upon the foreheads of the men who are sighing and crying over all the abominations that are being done in her midst.

5 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;

But unto these, said he in mine ears, Pass along through the city after him and smite, —let not your eye, shield, neither have ye pity:

6 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.”

elder, young man and virgin and little ones and women, shall ye slay utterly, but unto any man who hath upon him the mark, do not ye come near, and at my sanctuary, shall ye begin. So they began with the elder men. who were before the house.

7 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.

And he said unto them Defile ye the house and fill the courts with the slain, —go ye forth! So they went forth and smote in the city.

8 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?”

And it came to pass, while they were smiting them—I being left remaining, that I fell upon my face and made outcry, and said Alas! My Lord. Yahweh art thou about to destroy all the remnant of Israel, in that thou art pouring out of thine indignation upon Jerusalem?

9 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.

And he said unto me the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah, is exceeding, great, and the land is filled with shed blood, and the city is full of over-reaching, —for they have said. Yahweh hath forsaken the land, — and Yahweh doth not see.

10 And I also, My eye does not pity, nor do I spare; I have put their way on their own head.”

Therefore as for even me, Mine eye shall not shield. Neither will I pity, — Their way upon their own head, have I rendered.

11 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.”

And lo! the man clothed in linen, having the ink-holder by his side, bringing back word saying, — I have done according to all which thou didst command me.