¹ He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice,

saying,

Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

² And, {behold}, six men came from the way of the higher gate,

which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand;

and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side:

and they went in,

and stood beside the brasen altar.

³ And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, {whereupon he was}, to the threshold of the house.

And he called to the man clothed with linen,

which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;

⁴ And the Lord 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 for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

⁵ And to the others he said in mine hearing,

Go ye after him through the city,

and smite:

let not your eye spare,

neither have ye pity:

⁶ Slay utterly old and young, both maids, 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 ancient men which 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 slew in the city.

⁸ And it came to pass,

while they were slaying them,

and I was left,

that I fell upon my face,

and cried,

and said,

Ah Lord God!

wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel

in thy pouring out of thy fury 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 perverseness:

for they say,

The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and

the Lord seeth not.

¹⁰ And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare,

neither will I have pity,

but I will recompense their way upon their head.

¹¹ And, {behold}, the man clothed with linen, {which had the inkhorn by his side}, reported the matter,

saying,

I have done as thou hast commanded me.

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