Ezekiel 9
New American Standard Bible
The Vision of Slaughter
9 Then He cried out in my [a]presence with a loud (A)voice, saying, “Come forward, you [b]executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.” 2 And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his smashing weapon in his hand; and among them was (B)one man clothed in linen with a scribe’s kit at his waist. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Then the (C)glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the [c]temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose waist was the scribe’s kit. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a (D)mark on the foreheads of the people who (E)groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” 5 But to the others He said in my [d]presence, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. 6 [e]Utterly (F)kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not (G)touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall (H)start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the [f]elders who were before the [g]temple. 7 He also said to them, “(I)Defile the [h]temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city. 8 And as they were striking the people and I alone was left, I (J)fell on my face and cried out, [i]saying, “(K)Oh, Lord [j]God! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel [k]by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”
9 Then He said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is (L)filled with blood, and the city is (M)full of perversion; for (N)they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 But as for Me, (O)My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but (P)I will bring their conduct upon their heads.”
11 Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe’s kit, [l]reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 9:1 Lit ears
- Ezekiel 9:1 Lit punishers
- Ezekiel 9:3 Lit house
- Ezekiel 9:5 Lit ears
- Ezekiel 9:6 Lit To destruction
- Ezekiel 9:6 Or old men
- Ezekiel 9:6 Lit house
- Ezekiel 9:7 Lit house
- Ezekiel 9:8 Lit and said
- Ezekiel 9:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Ezekiel 9:8 Lit by Your pouring
- Ezekiel 9:11 Lit brought back word
Ezekiel 9
International Standard Version
The Vision of the Executioners
9 Then the Spirit[a] shouted right in my ears with a loud voice! “Come forward,” he said, “you executioners of the city, and bring your weapon of destruction in your[b] hand!”
2 All of a sudden, I noticed six men approaching from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north. Each of them held a destructive weapon in his hand. Among them there was one man, clothed in linen, who was equipped with a writing set[c] at his side. They went in and presented themselves beside the bronze altar. 3 Then the glory that is Israel’s God arose from the cherubim on which he had been seated and settled on the threshold of the Temple. He called out to the man dressed in linen who wore the writing case at his side.
4 The Lord told him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of everyone who sighs and moans over all of the loathsome things that are happening in it.”
5 As I continued to listen, he also told the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing. Don’t spare anyone you see, and don’t show pity of any kind. 6 You are to execute old men, young men, young women, little children, and women. But don’t touch anyone who has been marked. Begin at my Holy Place!” And so they started with the elders who were in standing in front of the Temple.
7 “Desecrate my Temple,” he told them, “and fill its courtyard with the dead!” So they went out and began striking down people throughout the city.
Ezekiel Intercedes for Israel
8 While they were out carrying out the executions, I was left alone. So I fell on my face and cried out, “O Lord God, are you going to destroy all of the survivors of Israel when you pour out your anger on Jerusalem?”
9 “The house of Israel and Judah is guilty—and theirs is a stubborn guilt, at that!” he replied to me. “The land is filled with blood, and the city overflows with injustice, because they keep saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land,’ and ‘The Lord isn’t watching.’ 10 So as for me, I’m not going to show pity, and I won’t look in their direction with mercy. I’m repaying them for what they have done.”
11 Then I noticed the man dressed in linen who wore the writing case by his side as he brought back this message: “I’ve done as you have commanded me.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 9:1 Lit. Then he
- Ezekiel 9:1 Lit. his
- Ezekiel 9:2 I.e., a case containing ink and writing implements
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
