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¹ AND he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Come near, O you avengers of the city, every man with his destroying weapons in his hand.² And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which looks toward the north, and every man had his destroying weapons in his hand; and there was a man among them clothed with linen, and his loins were girded with girdles of sapphire; and they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.³ And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub which stood on the corner of the house. And he called to the man who was clothed with linen and whose loins were girded with girdles of sapphire;⁴ And the LORD said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and who are tormented on account of all the abominations and evil things that are done in the midst thereof.

⁵ And to those who were with him he said in my sight, Go after him through the city and destroy; let not your eyes spare, nor have pity;⁶ Slay utterly old and young, both virgins and little children and women; but touch not any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the elders who stood in front of the house.⁷ And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain; then go forth and slay in the city.⁸ And it came to pass, when they had slain them, I was left; and I fell upon my face and cried with a loud voice mournfully, and said, Ah LORD God, wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel? Wilt thou pour out thy fury upon Jerusalem?⁹ Then he said to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, the land is full of blood and the city full of treachery; for they said, The LORD has forsaken the earth and the LORD does not see us.¹⁰ And as for me, I will have no mercy upon them, nor will I have pity; but I will recompense their evil ways upon their head.¹¹ And behold, the man clothed with linen answered, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.