 1 He shouted+ in my ears with a loud voice saying, Let the overseers of the city draw near, each with his destroying weapon in his hand. 2 Six men came from the way of the upper gate ghat faces north and each had his shattering weapon in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and with a writer's inkhorn by his side and they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3 The glory of the God of Israel had gone on from the cherub, where it was on it, to the threshold of the house. He called to the man clothed in linen with the writer's inkhorn by his side. 4 The Lord said to him, Go through into the middle of the city in the middle of Jerusalem and set a mark on the foreheads of the men who are groaning and mourning because of all the abominations that are done in her midst. 5 He said to those in my hearing, Go over in the city after him and strike. Do not let your eye spare nor have pity. 6 Fully destroy old men, young men, virgins, little children, and women. But do not come near any man on whom is the mark. Begin at my sanctuary. So they began at the old men who were before the house. 7 He said to them, Defile the house and fill the courts with the slain. Go out. So they went out and killed in the city. 8 As they were slaying them, I remained and fell on my face and cried out and said, Lord God, will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in your pouring out of your fury on Jerusalem? 9 He said to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is great and the land is full of blood and the city is full of perversity. For they say, The Lord has forsaken the land and the Lord does not see. 10 But my eye will not spare nor will I have pity. But I will put their way on their head. 11 Then the man clothed with linen, with the inkhorn by his side reported the matter saying, I have done as you have commanded.
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