Ezekiel 9

Ezekiel 9, verse 1. ¹Then He cried out in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “The punishment of the city is near, and each had instruments of destruction in his hand.” Ezekiel 9, verse 2. ²Behold, six men were coming from the way of the high gate that looks toward the north, and each one's ax was in his hand. One man among them was clothed with a full-length robe, with a belt of sapphire about his waist. They entered and stood near the bronze altar. Ezekiel 9, verse 3. ³Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherubim, and the glory which was over them went into the inner court of the house. He called to the man clothed with the long robe with the belt on his waist, Ezekiel 9, verse 4. ⁴and He said to him, “Go through the midst of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the lawless deeds taking place within her.” Ezekiel 9, verse 5. ⁵To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill. Let not your eyes spare, and have no mercy. Ezekiel 9, verse 6. ⁶Utterly destroy old men and youth, and virgins, infants, and women, but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark. Begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were inside the house. Ezekiel 9, verse 7. ⁷Then He said to them, “Defile the house, and go out and fill the roads with the dead, and smite.” Ezekiel 9, verse 8. ⁸So it was, as they were smiting, I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Alas, O Lord, are You wiping out all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your anger on Jerusalem?” Ezekiel 9, verse 9. ⁹Then He said to me, “The wrongdoing of the house of Israel and Judah has become exceedingly great, for the land is full of many peoples, and the city is full of wrongdoings and uncleanness. For they said, ‘The Lord forsook the land, and the Lord does not look upon it.’ Ezekiel 9, verse 10. ¹⁰My eye will not spare, nor will I have mercy, but I will recompense their deeds on their own heads.” Ezekiel 9, verse 11. ¹¹Then behold, the man clothed with the long robe and girded with the belt on his waist reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”