9 Then he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, ^[a]Cause ye them that have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. ² And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lieth toward the north, every man with his ^[b]slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer’s inkhorn ^[c]by his side. And they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.

³ And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house: and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn ^[d]by his side. ⁴ And Jehovah said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. ⁵ And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye through the city after him, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; ⁶ slay ^[e]utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ^[f]old men that were before the house. ⁷ And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and smote in the city. ⁸ And it came to pass, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy wrath upon Jerusalem?

⁹ Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of ^[g]wresting of judgment: for they say, Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah seeth not. ¹⁰ And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way upon their head. ¹¹ And, behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.