¹ And He cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Let the overseers of the city draw near, even each with his destroying weapon in his hand.

² And behold, six men came from the way of the Upper Gate which faces north, and each had his shattering weapon in his hand. And one man among them was clothed with linen, and 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 on from the cherub, where it was on it, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man clothed in linen, with the writer's inkhorn by his side.

⁴ And the LORD said to him, Go through in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men who are groaning and are mourning because of all the abominations that are done in her midst.

⁵ And He said to those in my hearing, Go over in the city after him, and strike. Let not your eye spare, nor have pity.

⁶ Fully destroy old men, young men and virgins, and little children and women. But do not come near any man on whom is the mark. And begin at My sanctuary. And 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 out! And they went out and killed in the city.

⁸ And it happened as they were slaying them, and I remained, then I fell on my face and cried, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in Your pouring out of Your fury on Jerusalem?

⁹ And He said to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is great, and the land is full of blood, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, The LORD has forsaken the land; and, the LORD does not see.

¹⁰ And even I, My eye shall not spare, nor will I have pity, but I will put their way on their head.

¹¹ And behold, the man clothed with linen, with the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as You have commanded me.