1 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause{+} those who have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

2 And look, 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. And they went in, and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from 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 by his side.

4 And 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 who sigh and that cry over all the disgusting things that are done in the midst of it.

5 And to the others he said in my hearing, Go{+} through the city after him, and strike: don't let your{+} eye spare, neither have{+} pity;

6 slay completely 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 who were before the house.

7 And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go{+} forth. And they went forth, and struck in the city.

8 And it came to pass, while they were striking, and I was left, that I fell on my face, and cried, and said, Ah Sovereign Yahweh! Will you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your wrath on Jerusalem?

9 Then he said 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 wresting [of judgment]: for they say, Yahweh has forsaken the land, and Yahweh does not see.

10 And as for me also, my eye will not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way on their head.

11 And look, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as you have commanded me.