Ezekiel 9

¹ Then he called out loudly in my hearing: “Let the officials of the city come near, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand!”

² And there came six men by way of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for striking in his hand. Among them was a man dressed in linen, with a scribe’s case at his waist. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.

³ The glory of the God of Israel rose from above the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the house. He called to the man dressed in linen, who had the scribe’s case at his waist.

⁴ The LORD said to him: “Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and mark the foreheads of the people who sigh and groan over all the abominations being committed in it.”

⁵ And to the others he said in my hearing: “Go through the city after him and strike. Let your eyes show no pity, and spare no one.

⁶ Kill old men, young men, young women, children, and women, destroying them; but do not go near anyone who bears the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the house.

⁷ He said to them: “Defile the house and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go!” They went out and struck down people in the city.

⁸ While they were striking them down, I was left alone. I fell facedown and cried out, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will you destroy the entire remnant of Israel by pouring out your fury on Jerusalem?”

⁹ He said to me: “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of injustice, because they say, ‘The LORD has abandoned the land; the LORD does not see.’

¹⁰ As for me, my eye will show no pity, and I will spare no one. I will bring their ways down on their own heads.”

¹¹ Then the man dressed in linen, who had the case at his waist, brought back his report: “I have done everything you commanded me.”

Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app