Ezekiel 9

1 And he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Draw near, ye that have charge of the city, and every man [with] 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 behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which is turned toward the north, and every man [with] his slaughter weapon in his hand; and in the midst of them, one man clothed with linen, with a writer's ink-horn by his side; and they went in, and stood beside 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 glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon 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;

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 Jehovah said unto 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 cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof.

“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 my hearing, Go after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have pity.

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 Slay utterly the old man, the young man, and the maiden, and little children, and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the elders who were before the house.

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 he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go forth. And they went forth, and smote 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 came to pass, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! wilt thou destroy all the remnant of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon 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 said unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness; for they say, Jehovah hath forsaken the earth, and Jehovah seeth not.

“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 as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense their way upon their head.

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 behold, the man clothed with linen, who had the ink-horn by his side, reported the matter, 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.”