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Yahweh’s Avenging Messenger Destroys the Wicked in the City

And he called in my ears with a loud voice, saying,[a]They have come near,[b] the punishers of the city, and each with his weapon of destruction in his hand. And look! Six men coming from the way of the upper gate[c] that faced northward,[d] and each with his weapon for[e] shattering in his hand; and one man was in the midst of them, dressed in linen, and the[f] writing case of the scribe was at his side. And they came and stood beside the bronze altar. And the glory of the God of Israel lifted itself up from upon the cherub that he was on[g] and went to the threshold of the house,[h] and he called to the man who was clothed in linen with a scribal writing case at his side.[i] And Yahweh said to him, “Go through in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and you must place a mark on the foreheads of the men who are groaning and lamenting[j] about all of the detestable things that are being done[k] in the midst of her.” And to the others he said in my hearing, “Go through the city behind him and kill! Your eyes shall not take pity, and you shall not have compassion. You must kill totally[l] old man, young man and young woman, and little children and women, but concerning[m] every man with the mark on him[n] you must not approach; and from my sanctuary you must begin.” And they began with the old men who were before[o] the house.[p] And he said to them, “Defile the house[q] and fill the courtyards with the dead; go out! And they went out, and they killed in the city. And then[r] as they were striking,[s] and I was left behind, I fell on my face, and I cried out, and I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! “Will you be destroying all of the remnant of Israel while you pour out your rage[t] on Jerusalem?” And he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly[u] great, and the land is filled with bloodguilt, and the city is full of injustice. For they say Yahweh abandoned the land, and Yahweh does not see.[v] 10 And I, my eye will not take pity, and I will not have compassion; their way I will bring on their head.” 11 And look! The man clothed in linen and with a writing case at his side[w] was bringing back a word, saying,[x] “I have done all that you commanded me.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 9:1 Literally “to say”
  2. Ezekiel 9:1 Or “Come near” (imperative)
  3. Ezekiel 9:2 Literally “the gate of the upper”
  4. Ezekiel 9:2 Literally “faced north + directive”
  5. Ezekiel 9:2 Or “of”
  6. Ezekiel 9:2 Or “his”
  7. Ezekiel 9:3 Hebrew “which he was on it”
  8. Ezekiel 9:3 That is, the temple
  9. Ezekiel 9:3 Literally “whom a writing case of a scribe was at his side”
  10. Ezekiel 9:4 Literally “the men the groaning and the lamenting”
  11. Ezekiel 9:4 Literally “the being done”
  12. Ezekiel 9:6 Literally “to destruction”
  13. Ezekiel 9:6 Literally “upon”
  14. Ezekiel 9:6 Literally “which is on him the mark”
  15. Ezekiel 9:6 Literally “were to the face of”
  16. Ezekiel 9:6 That is, the temple
  17. Ezekiel 9:7 Or “temple”
  18. Ezekiel 9:8 Literally “and it was”
  19. Ezekiel 9:8 Literally “in their striking”
  20. Ezekiel 9:8 Literally “when pouring out your rage”
  21. Ezekiel 9:9 Literally “with very very”
  22. Ezekiel 9:9 Literally “not Yahweh is seeing
  23. Ezekiel 9:11 Literally “which/whom the writing-case was at his side”
  24. Ezekiel 9:11 Literally “to say”

Vision of Slaughter in Jerusalem

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.” 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.

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. “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.”

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) 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. 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.

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?”

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.”