Old Testament · Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9

Execution of the Idolaters

1And he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying: "Draw near, you overseers of the city, each man^a with his destroying weapon in his hand."

2And behold, six men coming from the way of the upper gate which faces northward, and each man with his weapon of slaughter in his hand; and one man in their midst clothed in linen, and a writer's inkhorn at his loins. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from over the cherub on which it was, to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his loins. 4And the LORD said to him: "Pass through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and who groan over all the abominations that are done in its midst."

5And to these he said in my ears: "Pass through the city after him and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have pity; 6old man, young man and maiden, and little ones and women^b, slay to destruction; but to any man upon whom is the mark do not come near; and begin from my sanctuary." So they began with the elder men who were before the house.

7And he said to them: "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth." And they went forth and smote in the city.

8And it came to pass, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face and cried out and said: "Ah, Lord GOD! will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in your pouring out your fury upon Jerusalem?"

9And he said to me: "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is filled with blood, and the city is full of perversion; for they say: the LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see. 10And I also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; I will bring their way upon their head."

11And behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn at his loins, brought back word, saying: "I have done according to all that you have commanded me^c."