1 He also cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Bring near those who have charge over the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.
2 And behold, six men came from the direction of the higher gate, which faces north, each with a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkwell by his side. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkwell by his side;
4 And the LORD said to him, Go through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in it.
5 And to the others he said in my hearing, Go after him through the city and strike: let not your eye spare, neither have any pity:
6 Utterly slay old and young, both maidens, and little children, and women: but do not come near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began with the elders who were before the house.
7 And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go forth. And they went forth, and killed in the city.
8 And it happened, while they were killing them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in your pouring out of your fury upon Jerusalem?
9 Then he said to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD has forsaken the earth, and the LORD does not see.
10 And as for me also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.