Execution of the Idolaters

1And He called out in my ears in a great voice, saying: “Let come near those appointed to deal with the city, and each man with a weapon of destruction in his hand.”

2And behold, six men, each man coming from the way of the upper gate that is facing to the north, and a man with the weapon of slaughter in his hand; and one in their midst clothed with linen, and the inkhorn of a scribe at his side. And they went in and stood beside the altar of bronze.

3And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been upon it, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn of a scribe at his side; 4and YHWH said to him: “Pass over in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and mark a mark upon the foreheads of the men, those sighing and those groaning over all the abominations that are being done within it.”

5And to these others He said in my ears: “Pass over in the city after him, and strike! Do not let your⁺ eye show pity, and you⁺ shall not have pity. 6Aged, young man, and maidens, and little children, and women you⁺ will slay to destruction; and upon every man, upon him who has the mark, you⁺ will not come near. And at My sanctuary you⁺ will begin!”

And they began with the elder men who were before the face of the house.

7And He said to them: “Defile the house and fill the courts with the slain! Go forth!”

And they went forth, and they struck in the city.

8And it came to pass in their striking, that I was left, and I fell on my face and cried out and said: “Ah, Lord YHWH! Are You going to destroy all the remnant of Israel in Your pouring out Your fury upon Jerusalem?”

9And He said to me: “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is great exceedingly greatly, and the land is full of blood, and the city is full of perversity; for they say, ‘YHWH has forsaken the land, and YHWH is not seeing!’ 10And I also—My eye will not show pity, and I will not have pity, their deeds on their own head I have put!”

11And, behold, the man clothed in linen, who had at his side the inkhorn, was returning word, saying: “I have done according to that which You commanded me.”