1 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause you
them that have charge over the city to draw near, every 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; and one man in the midst of them 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 was gone 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 Yahweh said
to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and
set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the
abominations that are done in the midst of it. 5 To the others he said in
my hearing, Go you through the city after him, and strike: don’t let
your eye spare, neither have you pity; 6 kill utterly the old man,
the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but don’t come
near any man on whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began
at the old men that were before the house. 7 He said to them, Defile the
house, and fill the courts with the slain: go you forth. They went
forth, and struck in the city. 8 It happened, while they were smiting, and
I was left, that I fell on my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord Yahweh! will
you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your wrath on
Jerusalem? 9 Then said he 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, Yahweh has forsaken the land,
and Yahweh doesn’t see. 10 As for me also, my eye shall not 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.
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