9 I heard the Lord shout loudly, ‘Bring here the men who will punish the people of this city! Tell the guards to bring their weapons with them.’ 2 Then I looked and I saw six men. They were coming from the higher gate that is on the north side of the temple. Each man carried his weapon and he was ready to kill. A man who was wearing white linen clothes was among them. At his side he had a small box with pens in it. They came in and they stood next to the bronze altar. [ a ]
3 The bright glory of Israel's God then moved up from above the cherubs where it had been. It moved to the entrance of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man who was wearing linen clothes. 4 He said, ‘Go everywhere in the city of Jerusalem. Find the people who are very sad because of the disgusting things that people are doing in the city. Use your pens to put a mark on those people. Put the mark on the front of their heads.’
5 While I listened, the Lord said to the other men, ‘Follow that man through the city. Kill people who do not have his mark on their heads. Do not be sorry for them. Do not be kind to them. 6 Kill the old men, young men and girls. Kill the women and the children. Destroy them all! But do not touch anyone who has the mark on their head.’
So the men started to kill. The first people that they killed were the city's leaders who were in front of the temple.
7 The Lord said to them, ‘Fill the yards of the temple with dead bodies! Make the temple an unclean place! Go and do it now!’ So they went out and they started to kill people everywhere in the city. 8 I was alone while they were doing this. I bent down low with my face towards the ground. I called out, ‘Almighty Lord ! Will you destroy all Israel's people who are still alive? Are you so angry with the people of Jerusalem that you will do that?’
9 He answered me, ‘The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very great. They murder people everywhere in the land. In the city, nobody does what is right. They say, “The Lord has gone away from our land! The Lord does not see what we are doing!” 10 So I will not be sorry for them. I will not be kind to them. Now I will punish them as they deserve for the things that they have done.’
11 Then I saw again the man who was wearing linen clothes, with the box of pens. He brought this message to the Lord : ‘I have done what you commanded me to do.’
9 Then God shouted to the leaders in charge of punishing the city. Each leader had his own destructive weapon in his hand. [ a ] 2 Then I saw six men walking on the road from the upper gate. This gate is on the north side. Each man had his own deadly weapon in his hand. One of the men wore linen clothes. [ b ] He wore a scribe’s pen and ink set [ c ] at his waist. Those men went to the bronze altar in the Temple and stood there. 3 Then the Glory of the God of Israel rose from above the Cherub angels where he had been. Then the Glory went to the door of the Temple and stopped when he was over the threshold. Then he called to the man wearing the linen clothes and the scribe’s pen and ink set.
4 Then the Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem. Put a mark on the forehead of everyone who feels sad and upset about all the terrible things people are doing in this city.”
5-6 Then I heard God say to the other men, “I want you to follow the first man. You must kill all those who do not have the mark on their foreheads. It doesn’t matter if they are elders, young men or young women, children or mothers—you must use your weapon and kill everyone who does not have the mark on their forehead. Don’t show any mercy. Don’t feel sorry for anyone. Start here at my Temple.” So they started with the elders in front of the Temple.
7 He said to them, “Make this Temple unclean—fill this courtyard with dead bodies! Now go!” So they went and killed the people in the city.
8 I stayed there while the men went to kill the people. I bowed with my face to the ground and said, “Oh, Lord God , in showing your anger against Jerusalem, are you killing all the survivors in Israel?”
9 He said, “The family of Israel and Judah has committed many terrible sins! People are being murdered everywhere in this country, and the city is filled with crime. That is because the people say to themselves, ‘The Lord has left this country. The Lord cannot see what we are doing.’ 10 So I will not show any mercy or feel sorry for them. They brought it on themselves. I am only giving them the punishment they deserve!”
11 Then the man wearing linen clothes and a scribe’s pen and ink set spoke up. He said, “I have done what you commanded.”
9 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;
4 And the Lord 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 be done in the midst thereof.
5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, 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 ancient men which were before the house.
7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God ! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
9 Then said he 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, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.
10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.
9 Then He cried out in my [ a ] presence with a loud ( A ) voice, saying, “Come forward, you [ b ] executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.” 2 And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his smashing weapon in his hand; and among them was ( B ) one man clothed in linen with a scribe’s kit at his waist. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Then the ( C ) glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the [ c ] temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose waist was the scribe’s kit. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a ( D ) mark on the foreheads of the people who ( E ) groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” 5 But to the others He said in my [ d ] presence, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. 6 [ e ] Utterly ( F ) kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not ( G ) touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall ( H ) start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the [ f ] elders who were before the [ g ] temple. 7 He also said to them, “ ( I ) Defile the [ h ] temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city. 8 And as they were striking the people and I alone was left, I ( J ) fell on my face and cried out, [ i ] saying, “ ( K ) Oh, Lord [ j ] God ! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel [ k ] by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”
9 Then He said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is ( L ) filled with blood, and the city is ( M ) full of perversion; for ( N ) they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 But as for Me, ( O ) My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but ( P ) I will bring their conduct upon their heads.”
11 Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe’s kit, [ l ] reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”
9 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” 2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen ( A ) who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory ( B ) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, ( C ) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem ( D ) and put a mark ( E ) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament ( F ) over all the detestable things that are done in it. ( G ) ”
5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity ( H ) or compassion. ( I ) 6 Slaughter ( J ) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, ( K ) but do not touch anyone who has the mark. ( L ) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men ( M ) who were in front of the temple. ( N )
7 Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. ( O ) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 8 While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, ( P ) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord ! ( Q ) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath ( R ) on Jerusalem? ( S ) ”
9 He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. ( T ) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’ ( U ) 10 So I will not look on them with pity ( V ) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done. ( W ) ”
11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”
