EZEKIEL 9 [†]Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Bring near the executioners of the city,  z each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” 2And behold, six men came from the direction of  a the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was  b a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside  c the bronze altar.

3[†]Now  d the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to  e the threshold of the house. And he called to  b the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. 4[^]And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and  f put a mark on the foreheads of the men who  g sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” 5And to  h the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike.  i Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. 6[†] j Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but  k touch no one on whom is the mark. And  l begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. 7Then he said to them,  m “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city. 8[^][†]And while they were striking, and I was left alone,  n I fell upon my face, and cried,  o “Ah, Lord GOD!  p Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel  q in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

9Then he said to me,  r “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great.  s The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For  t they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.’ 10As for me,  u my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity;  v I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”

11And behold,  w the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me.”