EzekielChapter 9
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1Then I heard him call out in a loud voice. He said, "Come near, you who will punish the city! Each of you, bring your weapon of destruction in your hand." 2Then I saw six men coming from the Upper Gate, which faces north. Each had a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was another man dressed in linen. He had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from above the cherubim, where it had been. It moved to the doorway of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man dressed in linen who had the writing kit at his side. 4The LORD said to him, "Go all through the city of Jerusalem. Put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the disgusting things done there." 5As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and start killing. Do not show pity. Do not spare anyone! 6Kill the old men, the young men, and the young women. Kill the women and the children. But do not go near anyone who has the mark. Start at my holy place." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. 7Then he told them, "Make the temple unclean. Fill the courtyards with the dead. Go!" So they went out and began killing all through the city. 8While they were killing, I was left alone. I fell with my face to the ground and cried out, "Oh, Lord GOD! When you pour out your anger on Jerusalem, will you destroy everyone left in Israel?" 9He answered, "The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great. The land is full of murder. The city is full of crooked acts. For they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land. The LORD does not see.' 10But as for me, I will not look on them with pity. I will not spare them. I will bring down on their own heads what they have done." 11Then the man dressed in linen with the writing kit at his side came back. He reported, "I have done what you commanded."