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The Vision of Slaughter

¹ Then He cried out in my ^(F1)presence with a loud ^(C1)voice, saying, "Come forward, you ^(F2)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 ^(C1)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 ^(C1)glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the ^(F1)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 ^(C1)mark on the foreheads of the people who ^(C2)groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst."⁵ But to the others He said in my ^(F1)presence, "Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare.⁶ "^(F1)Utterly ^(C1)kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not ^(C2)touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall ^(C3)start from My sanctuary." So they started with the ^(F2)elders who were before the ^(F3)temple.⁷ He also said to them, "^(C1)Defile the ^(F1)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 ^(C1)fell on my face and cried out, ^(F1)saying, "^(C2)Oh, Lord ^(F2)GOD! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel ^(F3)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 ^(C1)filled with blood, and the city is ^(C2)full of perversion; for ^(C3)they say, 'The LORD has abandoned the land, and the LORD does not see!'¹⁰ "But as for Me, ^(C1)My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but ^(C2)I will bring their conduct upon their heads."

¹¹ Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe's kit, ^(F1)reported, saying, "I have done just as You have commanded me."