1 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Bring near the executioners of the city,z[ch. 43:3] each with his destroying weapon in his hand. ” 2 And behold, six men came from the direction ofa2 Kgs. 15:35; Jer. 20:2 the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them wasbch. 10:2, 6, 7; Dan. 10:5; 12:6, 7 a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood besidec[ch. 8:16] the bronze altar.
3 NowdSee ch. 1:28 the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested toech. 10:4, 18; 46:2; 47:1 the threshold of the house. And he called tob[See ver. 2 above] the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, andfRev. 3:12; 7:3; 9:4; 14:1; 22:4; [Ex. 12:7; Rev. 13:16, 17; 14:9; 20:4] put a mark on the foreheads of the men whog[Ps. 119:53, 136, 158] sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it. ” 5 And toh[ver. 2] the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike.iSee ch. 5:11 Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. 6 j[2 Chr. 36:17] Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, butk[Rev. 9:4] touch no one on whom is the mark. AndlSee Jer. 25:29 begin at my sanctuary. ” So they began with the elders who were before the house. 7 Then he said to them,mch. 7:21, 22 “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out. ” So they went out and struck in the city. 8 And while they were striking, and I was left alone,nch. 11:13; [Num. 14:5] I fell upon my face, and cried,oSee ch. 4:14 “Ah, Lord God!pch. 11:13 Will you destroy all the remnant of IsraelqSee ch. 7:8 in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem? ”
9 Then he said to me,rSee 2 Chr. 36:14-16 “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great.sSee ch. 7:23 The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. FortSee ch. 8:12 they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see. ’ 10 As for me,uSee ch. 5:11 my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity;vSee ch. 7:4 I will bring their deeds upon their heads. ”
11 And behold,wch. 10:2, 6, 7; Dan. 10:5; 12:6, 7 the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me. ”