16 “Behold, I am going to send for many (A)fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will (B)hunt them (C)from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. 17 (D)For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, (E)nor is their wrongdoing concealed from My eyes.

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16 “But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them.(A) After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt(B) them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.(C) 17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden(D) from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.(E)

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And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a (A)mark on the foreheads of the people who (B)groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” But to the others He said in my [a]presence, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. [b]Utterly (C)kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not (D)touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall (E)start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the [c]elders who were before the [d]temple. He also said to them, “(F)Defile the [e]temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city. And as they were striking the people and I alone was left, I (G)fell on my face and cried out, [f]saying, “(H)Oh, Lord [g]God! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel [h]by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”

Then He said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is (I)filled with blood, and the city is (J)full of perversion; for (K)they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 But as for Me, (L)My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but (M)I will bring their conduct upon their heads.”

11 Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe’s kit, [i]reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 9:5 Lit ears
  2. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit To destruction
  3. Ezekiel 9:6 Or old men
  4. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit house
  5. Ezekiel 9:7 Lit house
  6. Ezekiel 9:8 Lit and said
  7. Ezekiel 9:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  8. Ezekiel 9:8 Lit by Your pouring
  9. Ezekiel 9:11 Lit brought back word

and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem(A) and put a mark(B) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament(C) over all the detestable things that are done in it.(D)

As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity(E) or compassion.(F) Slaughter(G) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,(H) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.(I) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men(J) who were in front of the temple.(K)

Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.(L) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown,(M) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord!(N) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath(O) on Jerusalem?(P)

He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.(Q) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’(R) 10 So I will not look on them with pity(S) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.(T)

11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

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God’s Judgment Unavoidable

I saw the Lord standing beside the (A)altar, and He said,

“Strike the pillar capitals so that the (B)thresholds will shake,
And (C)break them on the heads of them all!
Then I will (D)put to death the rest of them with the sword;
They will (E)not have a fugitive who will flee,
Nor a survivor who will escape.
Though they dig into (F)Sheol,
From there My hand will take them;
And though they (G)ascend to heaven,
From there I will bring them down.
And though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
I will (H)track them down and take them from there;
And though they (I)hide themselves from My sight on the bottom of the sea,
I will command the (J)serpent from there, and it will bite them.

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Israel to Be Destroyed

I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said:

“Strike the tops of the pillars
    so that the thresholds shake.
Bring them down on the heads(A) of all the people;
    those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
    none will escape.(B)
Though they dig down to the depths below,(C)
    from there my hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,(D)
    from there I will bring them down.(E)
Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,(F)
    there I will hunt them down and seize them.(G)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,(H)
    there I will command the serpent(I) to bite them.(J)

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