1Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause those who have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. 2And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lies toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. And they went in, and stood beside the bronze altar. 3And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, on which it was, to the threshold of the house: and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn by his side. 4And Yehovah said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and who cry over all the abominations that are done in its midst. 5And to the others he said in my hearing, Go through the city after him, and strike: let not your eye spare, nor have pity; 6slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but do not come near any man on whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began with the old men who were before the house. 7And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go forth. And they went forth, and struck in the city. 8And it happened, while they were striking, and I was left, that I fell on my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord Yehovah! will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in your pouring out of your wrath on Jerusalem? 9Then 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 perversion of justice: for they say, Yehovah has forsaken the land, and Yehovah does not see. 10And as for me also, my eye shall not spare, nor will I have pity, but I will bring their way on their head. 11And, behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as you have commanded me.