1
And He crieth in mine ears -- a loud voice -- saying, `Drawn near have inspectors of the city, and each his destroying weapon in his hand.'
2
And lo, six men are coming from the way of the upper gate, that is facing the north, and each his slaughter-weapon in his hand, and one man in their midst is clothed with linen, and a scribe's inkhorn at his loins, and they come in, and stand near the brazen altar.
3
And the honour of the God of Israel hath gone up from off the cherub, on which it hath been, unto the threshold of the house.
4
And He calleth unto the man who is clothed with linen, who hath the scribe's inkhorn at his loins, and Jehovah saith unto him, `Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Jerusalem, and thou hast made a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and who are groaning for all the abominations that are done in its midst.'
5
And to the others he said in mine ears, `Pass on into the city after him, and smite; your eye doth not pity, nor do ye spare;
6
aged, young man, and virgin, and infant, and women, ye do slay -- to destruction; and against any man on whom [is] the mark ye do not go nigh, and from My sanctuary ye begin.'
7
And they begin among the aged men who [are] before the house, and He saith unto them, `Defile the house, and fill the courts with the wounded, go forth.' And they have gone forth and have smitten in the city.
8
And it cometh to pass, as they are smiting, and I -- I am left -- that I fall on my face, and cry, and say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, art Thou destroying all the remnant of Israel, in Thy pouring out Thy wrath on Jerusalem?'
9
And He saith unto me, `The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] very very great, and the land is full of blood, and the city hath been full of perverseness, for they have said: Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah is not seeing.
10
And I also, Mine eye doth not pity, nor do I spare; their way on their own head I have put.'
11
And lo, the man clothed with linen, at whose loins [is] the inkhorn, is bringing back word, saying, `I have done as Thou hast commanded me.'
