9:1 Then He cried out in my ①presence with a loud voice, saying, “Come forward, you ②executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.”
▷ ①Lit punishers ②Lit ears
9:2 And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his smashing weapon in his hand; and among them was one man clothed in linen with a scribe’s kit at his waist. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
9:3 Then the glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the ①temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose waist was the scribe’s kit.
▷ ①Lit house
9:4 And the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a mark on the foreheads of the people who groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”
9:5 But to the others He said in my ①presence, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare.
▷ ①Lit ears
9:6 ①Utterly kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the ②elders who were before the ③temple.
▷ ①Lit To destruction ②Or old men ③Lit house
9:7 He also said to them, “Defile the ①temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city.
▷ ①Lit house
9:8 And as they were striking the people and I alone was left, I fell on my face and cried out, ①saying, “Oh, Lord ②GOD! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel ③by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”
▷ ①Lit and said ②Heb YHWH, usually rendered LORD ③Lit by Your pouring
9:9 Then He said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is filled with blood, and the city is full of perversion; for they say, ‘The LORD has abandoned the land, and the LORD does not see!’
9:10 But as for Me, My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but I will bring their conduct upon their heads.”
9:11 Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe’s kit, ①reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”
▷ ①Lit brought back word