Ezekiel 9

The Vision of Slaughter

1Then He cried out in my 1presence with a loud 2voice, saying, “Come forward, you 3executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.” 2And 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 4one man clothed in linen with a scribe’s kit at his waist. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3Then the 5glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the 6temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose waist was the scribe’s kit. 4And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a 7mark on the foreheads of the people who 8groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” 5But to the others He said in my 9presence, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. 610Utterly 11kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not 12touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall 13start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the 14elders who were before the 15temple. 7He also said to them, “16Defile the 17temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city. 8And as they were striking the people and I alone was left, I 18fell on my face and cried out, 19saying, “20Oh, Lord 21God! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel 22by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”

9Then He said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is 23filled with blood, and the city is 24full of perversion; for 25they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10But as for Me, 26My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but 27I will bring their conduct upon their heads.”

11Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe’s kit, 28reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”