1Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause ye those who have charge over the city to draw near, each man with his destroying weapon in his hand. 2And, behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lays toward the north, each man with his slaughter weapon in his hand, and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer's case by his side. And they we 3And the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub, upon which it was, to the threshold of the house, and he called to the man clothed in linen who had the writer's case by his side. 4And 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 who sigh and who cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst of it. 5And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye through the city after him, and smite. Let not your eye spare, nor have ye pity. 6Kill utterly the old man, the young man, and the virgin, and little sons, and women, but come not near any man upon whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the old men who were before the house. 7And he said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go ye forth. And they went forth, and smote in the city. 8And it came to pass, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah lord LORD! Will thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy wrath upon 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 perverseness. For they say, LORD has forsaken the land, and LORD does not see. 10And as for me also, my eye shall not spare, nor will I have pity, but I will bring their way upon their head. 11And, behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou have commanded me.