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¹ Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause those that have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.² And look, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lies toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. And they went in, and stood beside the bronze altar.³ And the glory of the God of Israel had 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 by his side.⁴ And Yahweh said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the disgusting things that are done in the midst thereof.

⁵ And to the others he said in my hearing, Go through the city after him, and smite: don't let your eye spare, neither have pity;⁶ slay completely the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but don't come near any man on whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the old men that were before the house.⁷ And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go 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 on my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord Yahweh! will you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your wrath on Jerusalem?⁹ Then he said to 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 wresting [of judgment]: for they say, Yahweh has forsaken the land, and Yahweh does not see.¹⁰ And as for me also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way on their head.¹¹ And look, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as you have commanded me.