¹ And he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, The visitors of the city have come, even each one [with] his destroying weapon in his hand.

² And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lies toward the north, and each man [had] a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them [was] clothed with linen with a writer's inkhorn by his side; and they went in and stood beside the brazen altar.

³ And the glory of the God of Israel went up from over the cherubim, upon which he had been, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, who [had] the writer's inkhorn by his side;

⁴ and the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry out because of all the abominations that are done in the midst of her.

⁵ And to the others he said in my hearing, Go after him through the city and smite; do not let your eye forgive, neither have mercy.

⁶ Slay [the] old, [the] young men, and [the] virgins, [the] children and [the] women, but do not come near anyone upon whom [is] the mark; and ye must begin from my sanctuary. Then they began with [the] men, the elders, which [were] in front of the temple.

⁷ And he said unto them, Defile the house and fill the courts with the slain; go forth. And they went forth and slew in the city.

⁸ And it came to pass, after they had slain them, I was left, and I fell upon my face and cried out and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the remnant of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

⁹ Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness, for they have said, The LORD has forsaken the earth, and the LORD does not see.

¹⁰ And as for me also, my eye shall not forgive, neither will I have mercy, [but] I will recompense their way upon their head.

¹¹ And, behold, the man clothed with linen, who [had] the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done according to all thou hast commanded me.: