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Yahweh’s Avenging Messenger Destroys the Wicked in the City

And he called in my ears with a loud voice, saying,[a]They have come near,[b] the punishers of the city, and each with his weapon of destruction in his hand. And look! Six men coming from the way of the upper gate[c] that faced northward,[d] and each with his weapon for[e] shattering in his hand; and one man was in the midst of them, dressed in linen, and the[f] writing case of the scribe was at his side. And they came and stood beside the bronze altar. And the glory of the God of Israel lifted itself up from upon the cherub that he was on[g] and went to the threshold of the house,[h] and he called to the man who was clothed in linen with a scribal writing case at his side.[i] And Yahweh said to him, “Go through in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and you must place a mark on the foreheads of the men who are groaning and lamenting[j] about all of the detestable things that are being done[k] in the midst of her.” And to the others he said in my hearing, “Go through the city behind him and kill! Your eyes shall not take pity, and you shall not have compassion. You must kill totally[l] old man, young man and young woman, and little children and women, but concerning[m] every man with the mark on him[n] you must not approach; and from my sanctuary you must begin.” And they began with the old men who were before[o] the house.[p] And he said to them, “Defile the house[q] and fill the courtyards with the dead; go out! And they went out, and they killed in the city. And then[r] as they were striking,[s] and I was left behind, I fell on my face, and I cried out, and I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! “Will you be destroying all of the remnant of Israel while you pour out your rage[t] on Jerusalem?” And he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly[u] great, and the land is filled with bloodguilt, and the city is full of injustice. For they say Yahweh abandoned the land, and Yahweh does not see.[v] 10 And I, my eye will not take pity, and I will not have compassion; their way I will bring on their head.” 11 And look! The man clothed in linen and with a writing case at his side[w] was bringing back a word, saying,[x] “I have done all that you commanded me.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 9:1 Literally “to say”
  2. Ezekiel 9:1 Or “Come near” (imperative)
  3. Ezekiel 9:2 Literally “the gate of the upper”
  4. Ezekiel 9:2 Literally “faced north + directive”
  5. Ezekiel 9:2 Or “of”
  6. Ezekiel 9:2 Or “his”
  7. Ezekiel 9:3 Hebrew “which he was on it”
  8. Ezekiel 9:3 That is, the temple
  9. Ezekiel 9:3 Literally “whom a writing case of a scribe was at his side”
  10. Ezekiel 9:4 Literally “the men the groaning and the lamenting”
  11. Ezekiel 9:4 Literally “the being done”
  12. Ezekiel 9:6 Literally “to destruction”
  13. Ezekiel 9:6 Literally “upon”
  14. Ezekiel 9:6 Literally “which is on him the mark”
  15. Ezekiel 9:6 Literally “were to the face of”
  16. Ezekiel 9:6 That is, the temple
  17. Ezekiel 9:7 Or “temple”
  18. Ezekiel 9:8 Literally “and it was”
  19. Ezekiel 9:8 Literally “in their striking”
  20. Ezekiel 9:8 Literally “when pouring out your rage”
  21. Ezekiel 9:9 Literally “with very very”
  22. Ezekiel 9:9 Literally “not Yahweh is seeing
  23. Ezekiel 9:11 Literally “which/whom the writing-case was at his side”
  24. Ezekiel 9:11 Literally “to say”

Judgment on the Idolaters

Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen(A) who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Now the glory(B) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim,(C) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem(D) and put a mark(E) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament(F) over all the detestable things that are done in it.(G)

As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity(H) or compassion.(I) Slaughter(J) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,(K) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.(L) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men(M) who were in front of the temple.(N)

Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.(O) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown,(P) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord!(Q) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath(R) on Jerusalem?(S)

He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.(T) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’(U) 10 So I will not look on them with pity(V) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.(W)

11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”