Ezekiel 9

Modern

Literal

Execution of the Idolaters

¹Then I heard Him call out in a loud voice, saying, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with a weapon of destruction in hand.”

¹And He called out in my ears in a great voice, saying: “Let come near those appointed to deal with the city, and each man with a weapon of destruction in his hand.”

²And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, each with a weapon of slaughter in his hand. With them was another man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

²And behold, six men, each man coming from the way of the upper gate that is facing to the north, and a man with the weapon of slaughter in his hand; and one in their midst clothed with linen, and the inkhorn of a scribe at his side. And they went in and stood beside the altar of bronze.

³Then the glory of the God of Israel rose from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side.

³And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been upon it, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn of a scribe at his side;

⁴“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”

⁴and YHWH said to him: “Pass over in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and mark a mark upon the foreheads of the men, those sighing and those groaning over all the abominations that are being done in its midst.”

⁵And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone!

⁵And to these others He said in my ears: “Pass over in the city after him, and strike! Do not let your eye show pity, and you shall not have pity.

⁶Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.”

So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

⁶Aged, young man, and maidens, and little children, and women you will slay to destruction; and upon every man, upon him who has the mark, you will not come near. And at My sanctuary you will begin!” And they began with the elder men who were before the face of the house.

⁷Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!”

So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

⁷And He said to them: “Defile the house and fill the courts with the slain! Go forth!” And they went forth, and they struck in the city.

⁸While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord GOD, when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem, will You destroy the entire remnant of Israel?”

⁸And it came to pass in their striking, that I was left, and I fell on my face and cried out and said: “Ah, Lord YHWH! Are You going to destroy all the remnant of Israel in Your pouring out Your fury upon Jerusalem?”

⁹He replied, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.’

⁹And He said to me: “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is great exceedingly greatly, and the land is full of blood, and the city is full of perversity; for they say, ‘YHWH has forsaken the land, and YHWH is not seeing!’

¹⁰But as for Me, I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. I will bring their deeds down upon their own heads.”

¹⁰And I also—My eye will not show pity, and I will not have pity, their deeds on their own head I have put!”

¹¹Then the man clothed in linen with the writing kit at his side reported back, “I have done as You commanded.”

¹¹And, behold, the man clothed in linen, who had at his side the inkhorn, was returning word, saying: “I have done according to that which You commanded me.”