Vision of Slaughter in Jerusalem

9 Then He called to me directly with a loud voice, “Come near, executioners of the city, each of you with a destructive weapon in his hand.” ² And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate,^(A) which faces north, each with a war club in his hand. There was another man among them, clothed in linen,^(B) with writing equipment at his side. They came and stood beside the bronze altar.

³ Then the glory of the God of Israel^(C) rose from above the cherub where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side. ⁴ “Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem,” the Lord said to him, “and put a mark on the foreheads^(D) of the men who sigh and groan^(E) over all the detestable practices committed in it.”

⁵ He spoke as I listened to the others, “Pass through the city after him and start killing; do not show pity or spare them!^{(F) 6} Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, as well as the older women and little children,^(G) but do not come near anyone who has the mark.^(H) Now begin at My sanctuary.”^(I) So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. ⁷ Then He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.^(J) Go!” So they went out killing people in the city.

⁸ While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord God!^(K) Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”

⁹ He answered me: “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of bloodshed,^(L) and the city full of perversity. For they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land;^(M) He does not see.’^{(N) 10} But as for Me, I will not show pity or spare them.^(O) I will bring their actions down on their own heads.”^{(P) 11} Then the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side reported back, “I have done as You commanded me.”