Ezequiel 9

¹ He cried also in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge overThe time to take vengeance.the city to draw near, even every man [with] his destroying weapon in his hand.

² And, behold, sixWhich were angels in the appearance of men.men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward theSignifying that the Babylonians would come from the north to destroy the city and the temple.north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them [was] clothed with linen, with a writer'sTo mark them that would be saved.inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

³ And the glory of the God of Israel hadWhich declared that he was not bound to it, neither would remain any longer than there was hope that they would return from their wickedness and worship him correctly.gone up from the cherub, on which he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, who [had] the writer's inkhorn by his side;

⁴ And the LORD said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men thatHe shows what is the manner of God's children, whom he marks for salvation: that is, to mourn and cry out against the wickedness which they see committed against God's glory.sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of it.

⁵ And to the other he said, that I might heare, Goe ye after him through the citie, and smite: let your eye spare none, neither haue pitie.

⁶ Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] theThus in all his plagues the Lord preserves his small number, which he marks as in (Exo_12:12; Rev_7:3) but the chief mark is the spirit of adoption, with which the heart is sealed up to life everlasting.mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at theWhich was the chief opportunity for all these evils, as in (Eze_8:11).elders who [were] before the house.

⁷ And he sayde vnto them, Defile the house, and fill the courtes with the slaine, then goe foorth: and they went out, and slewe them in the citie.

⁸ And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said,This declares that the servants of God have a compassion when they see his judgments executed.Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy the whole remnant of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

⁹ Then said he to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] exceeding great, and the land is full ofThat is, with all kinds of wickedness. {{See Isa_1:15}}blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

¹⁰ As touching me also, mine eye shall not spare them, neither will I haue pitie, but will recompence their wayes vpon their heades.

¹¹ And beholde, the man clothed with linen which had the ynkhorne by his side, made report, and saide, Lorde, I haue done as thou hast commanded me.