Ezekiel, 9

1. Then he cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city!

1. Then he shouted loudly for me to hear, 'The scourges of the city are approaching, each carrying his weapon of destruction!'

2. With that I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces the north, each with a destroying weapon in his hand. In their midst was a man dressed in linen, with a writer's case at his waist. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.

2. Immediately six men advanced from the upper north gate, each holding a deadly weapon. Among them was a man dressed in linen, with a scribe's ink-horn in his belt. They came in and halted in front of the bronze altar.

3. Then he called to the man dressed in linen with the writer's case at his waist,

3. The glory of the God of Israel rose from above the winged creature where it had been, towards the threshold of the Temple. He called to the man dressed in linen with a scribe's ink-horn in his belt

4. saying to him: Pass through the city (through Jerusalem) and mark an X on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it.

4. and Yahweh said to him, 'Go all through the city, all through Jerusalem, and mark a cross on the foreheads of all who grieve and lament over all the loathsome practices in it.'

5. To the others I heard him say: Pass through the city after him and strike! Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!

5. I heard him say to the others, 'Follow him through the city and strike. Not one glance of pity; show no mercy;

6. Old men, youths and maidens, women and children--wipe them out! But do not touch any marked with the X; begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the men (the elders) who were in front of the temple.

6. old men, young men, girls, children, women, kill and exterminate them all. But do not touch anyone with a cross on his forehead. Begin at my sanctuary.' So they began with the old men who were in the Temple.

7. Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain; then go out and strike in the city.

7. He said to them, 'Defile the Temple; fill the courts with corpses; then go out!' They went out and hacked their way through the city.

8. As they began to strike, I was left alone. I fell prone, crying out, Alas, Lord GOD! Will you destroy all that is left of Israel when you pour out your fury on Jerusalem?"

8. While they were hacking them down, I was left alone; I fell on my face, crying out, 'Ah, Lord Yahweh, are you going to annihilate all that is left of Israel by venting your fury on Jerusalem?'

9. He answered me: The sins of the house of Israel are great beyond measure; the land is filled with bloodshed, the city with lawlessness. They think that the LORD has forsaken the land, that he does not see them.

9. He said, 'The guilt of the House of Israel and Judah is immense; the country is full of bloodshed, the city full of perversity, for they say, "Yahweh has abandoned the country, Yahweh cannot see."

10. I, however, will not look upon them with pity, nor show any mercy. I will bring down their conduct upon their heads.

10. Then, I too shall neither give one glance of pity nor show any mercy. I shall repay them for what they have done.'

11. Then I saw the man dressed in linen with the writing case at his waist make his report: "I have done as you ordered."

11. The man dressed in linen with the scribe's ink-horn in his belt then came back and made his report, 'I have carried out your orders.'

24. Spirit lifted me up and brought me back to the exiles in Chaldea (in a vision, by God's spirit). Then the vision I had seen left me,

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25. and I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.

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