Then came there six men out of the street of the upper port toward the north, and every man a weapon in his hand to the slaughter. There was one amongst them, that had on him a linen raiment, and a writer's inkhorn by his side. These went in, and stood beside the brazen altar:

for the glory of God was gone away from the Cherub, and was come down to the threshold of the house. And he called the man that had the linen raiment upon him, and the writer's inkhorn by his side,

and the LORD said unto him, "Go thy way through the city of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of them that mourn and are sorry for all the abominations that be done therein."

And to the other, he said that I might hear, "Go ye after him through the city: slay, oversee none, spare none,

kill and destroy both old man and young, maidens, children and wives. But as for those, that have the mark upon them: see that ye touch them not. And begin at my Sanctuary." Then they began at the elders, which were in the temple,

Now when they had done the slaughter, and I yet escaped: I fell down upon my face, and cried saying, "O LORD, wilt thou then destroy all the residue of Israel, in thy sore displeasure, that thou hast poured upon Jerusalem?"

Then said he unto me, "The wickedness of the house of Israel and Judah is very great: so that the land is full of blood, and the city full of unfaithfulness. For they say, 'Tush, the LORD regardeth not the earth, he seeth us not.'

And behold, the man that had the linen raiment upon him, and the writer's inkhorn by his side, told all the matter how it happened, and said, "LORD, as thou hast commanded me, so have I done."

And as I looked, behold, in the firmament that was above the cherubims there appeared the similitude of a stool of sapphire upon them.

Then said he that sat therein, to him that had the linen raiment upon him, "Creep in between the wheels that are under the Cherubims, and take thine hand full of hot coals out from between the Cherubims, and cast them over the city. And he crept in, that I might see."

But the glory of the LORD removed from the Cherubims, and came upon the threshold of the house: so that the temple was full of clouds, and the court was full of the shine of the LORD's glory.

Now when he had bidden the man that was clothed in linen, to go and take the hot coals from the midst of the wheels, which were under the Cherubims: he went and stood beside the wheels.

Then the one Cherub reached forth his hand from under the Cherubims, unto the fire that was between the Cherubims, and took thereof, and gave it unto him that had on the linen raiment, in his hand: which took it, and went out.

I saw also four wheels beside the Cherubims, so that by every Cherub there stood a wheel. And the wheels were, to look upon, after the fashion of the precious stone of Tharsis,

When they went forth, they went all four together, not turning about in their going. But where the first went, thither went they after also, so that they turned not about in their going.

Every one of them had four faces: so that the one face was the face of a Cherub, the second of a man, the third of a lion, the fourth of an Eagle,

and they were lifted up above. This is the beast, that I saw at the water of Chebar.

And the Cherubims flickered with their wings, and lift themselves up from the earth: so that I saw when they went, and the wheels with them. And they stood at the east side of the port that is in the house of the LORD. So the glory of the LORD was upon them.

This is the beast that I saw under the God of Israel, by the water of Chebar. And I perceived, that it was the Cherubims.

And with that fell the spirit of the LORD upon me, and said unto me, "Speak, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: On this manner have ye spoken, O ye house of Israel, and I know the imaginations of your hearts.

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: The slain men that ye have laid on the ground in this city, are the flesh, and this city is the cauldron: But I will bring you out of it.

Ye shall be slain in all the coasts of Israel. I will be avenged of you: to learn you for to know that I am the LORD.

that ye may know that I am the LORD, in whose commandments ye have not walked, nor kept his laws: but have done after the customs of the Heathen, that lie round about you.'"

And I will give you one heart, and will plant a new spirit within your bowels. That stony heart will I take out of your body, and give you a fleshly heart:

that ye may walk in my commandments, and keep mine ordinances, and do them. That ye may be my people, and I your God.

But the wind took me up, and in a vision which came by the spirit of God it brought me again into Chaldea among the prisoners. Then the vision that I had seen vanished away from me.

Therefore, O thou son of man, make thy gear ready to flit, and go forth by fair daylight, that they may see. Yea, even in their sight shalt thou go from thy place to another place: if peradventure they will consider that they be an unobedient household.

Thy gear that thou hast made ready to flit withal, shalt thou bear out by fair daylight, that they may see: and thou thyself shalt go forth also at even in their sight, as a man doth when he goeth forth to flight.

Dig through the wall, that they may see: and bear through it the same thing that thou tookest up in their sight.

As for thyself, thou shalt go forth in the dark. Hide thy face that thou see not the earth, for I have made thee a show-token unto the house of Israel."

Now as the Lord commanded me, so I did: the gear that I had made ready, brought I out by day. At even I brake down a hole through the wall with my hand: and when it was dark, I took the gear upon my shoulders and bare them out in their sight.

"Thou son of man, if Israel, that froward household, ask thee and say, 'What doest thou there?'

Then tell them, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: This punishment toucheth the chief rulers at Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel, that dwell among them.

The chiefest that is among you, shall lade his shoulders in the dark, and get him away. He shall break down the wall, to carry stuff therethrough: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

As for all his helpers, and all his Hosts that be about him, I will scatter them toward all the winds, and draw out a sword after them.

So when I have scattered them among the Heathen, and strawed them in the lands, they shall know that I am the LORD.

But, I will leave a little number of them from the sword, hunger and pestilence: to tell all their abominations among the Heathen, where they come: that they may know how that I am the LORD.'"

And unto the people of the land, speak thou on this manner: 'Thus sayeth the LORD God to them that dwell in Jerusalem, and to the land of Israel: Ye shall eat your bread with sorrow, and drink your water with heaviness. Yea, the land with the fullness thereof shall be laid waste, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

And the cities that now be well occupied, shall be void, and the land desolate: that ye may know how that I am the LORD.'"

"Thou son of man, what manner of byword is that, which ye use in the land of Israel? Saying, 'Tush, seeing that the days are so slack in coming, all the visions are of none effect.'

Tell them therefore, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: I will make that byword to cease, so that it shall no more be commonly used in Israel.' But say this unto them, 'The days are at hand, that everything which hath been prophesied, shall be fulfilled.

For it is I, the LORD, that speak it: and whatsoever I, the LORD, speak, it shall be performed, and not be slacken in coming. Yea even in your days, O ye froward household, will I devise something and bring it to pass, sayeth the LORD God.'"

"Behold, thou son of man: The house of Israel say in this manner, 'Tush, as for the vision that he hath seen, it will be many a day or it come to pass: It is far off yet, the thing that he prophesieth.'

Therefore say unto them, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: All my words shall no more be slack. Look what I speak, that same shall come to pass, sayeth the LORD.'"

"Thou son of man, speak prophecy against those prophets that preach in Israel: and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, 'Hear ye the word of the LORD.

Thus sayeth the LORD God: Woe be unto those foolish prophets that follow their own spirit, and speak where they see nothing.

For they stand not in the gaps, neither made they a hedge for the house of Israel, that men might abide the peril in the day of the LORD.

Mine hands shall come upon the prophets that look out vain things and preach lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, nor written in the book of the house of Israel, neither shall they come in the land of Israel: that ye may know how that I am the LORD God.

"'And that for this cause: they have deceived my people, and told them of peace, where no peace was. One setteth up a wall, and they daub it with loose clay.

Therefore tell them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall. For there shall come a great shower of rain, great stones shall fall upon it, and a sore storm of wind shall break it.

So shall the wall come down. Shall it not then be said unto you, 'Where is now the mortar, that ye daubed it withal?'

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: I will break out in my wrathful displeasure with a stormy wind, so that in mine anger there shall come a mighty shower of rain and hailstones in my wrath, to destroy withal.

As for the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, I will break it down: make it even with the ground, so the foundation thereof shall remove, and it shall fall. Yea, and ye yourselves shall perish in the midst thereof: to learn you for to know, that I am the LORD.

Thus will I perform my wrath upon this wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and then will I say unto you: The wall is gone, and the daubers are away.

and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Woe be unto you, that sew pillows under all armholes, and bolsters under the heads both of young and old, to catch souls withal. For when ye have gotten the souls of my people in your captivity, ye promise them life,

and dishonour me to my people for a handful of barley, and for a piece of bread. When ye kill the souls of them that die not, and promise life to them that live not: Thus ye dissemble with my people, that believeth your lies.

Wherefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Behold, I will also upon the pillows, wherewith ye catch the souls in flying: them will I take from your arms, and let the souls go, that ye catch in flying.

Your bolsters also will I tear in pieces, and deliver my people out of your hand: so that they shall come no more in your hands to be spoiled, and ye shall know, that I am the LORD.

Seeing that with your lies ye discomfort the heart of the righteous, whom I have not discomforted: Again, forsomuch as ye courage the hand of the wicked, so that he may not turn from his wicked way, and live:

therefore shall ye spy out no more vanity, nor prophesy your own guessings. For I will deliver my people out of your hand, that ye may know how that I am the LORD.'"

Therefore speak unto them, and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Every man of the house of Israel that beareth his Idols in his heart, purposing to stumble in his own wickedness, and cometh to a prophet, to enquire anything at me by him: unto that man will I the LORD myself give answer, according to the multitude of his idols:

that the house of Israel may be snared in their own hearts, because they be clean gone from me, for their Idols' sakes.'

For every man, whether he be of the house of Israel, or a stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which departeth from me, and carrieth idols in his heart, purposing to go still stumbling in his own wickedness, and cometh to a Prophet, for to ask counsel at me through him: unto that man will I the LORD give answer, by mine own self.

I will set my face against that man. And will make him to be an example for others; yea, and a common byword. And will root him out of my people, that he may know how that I am the LORD.

And if that Prophet be deceived, when he telleth him a word: then I the LORD myself have deceived that Prophet, and will stretch forth mine hand upon him, to root him out of my people of Israel:

and they both shall be punished for their wickedness. According to the sin of him that asketh, shall the sin of the Prophet be:

that the house of Israel be led no more from me through error, and be no more defiled in their wickedness: but that they may be my people, and I their God, sayeth the LORD God.'"

If I bring noisome beasts into the land to waste it up, and it be so desolate that no man may go therein for beasts;

Or if I bring a sword into the land, and charge it to go through the land, so that I slay down man and beast in it,

If I send a pestilence into the land, and pour out my sore indignation upon it in blood, so that I root out of it both man and beast,

yet shall there be a remnant saved therein, which shall bring forth their sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way, and what they take in hand, and ye shall be comforted, as touching all the plagues that I have brought upon Jerusalem.

They shall comfort you, when ye see their way and works: and ye shall know how that it is not without a cause, that I have done so against Jerusalem, as I did, sayeth the LORD God.

Seeing then, that it was mete for no work, being whole: much less may there anything be made of it, when the fire hath consumed and burnt it.

And therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Like as I cast the vine into the fire for to be burnt, as other trees of the wood: Even so will I do with them that dwell in Jerusalem,

and set my face against them: they shall go out from the fire, and yet the fire shall consume them. Then shall ye know that I am the LORD: when I set my face against them,

No man regarded that so much, as to do any of these things for thee, or to show thee such favour, but thou wast utterly cast out upon the field: yea, despised wast thou in the day of thy birth.

Insomuch, that thy beauty was spoken of among the Heathen, for thou wast excellent in my beauty, which I put upon thee, sayeth the LORD God.

"'But thou hast put confidence in thine own beauty, and played the harlot, when thou hadst gotten thee a name. Thou hast committed whoredom with all that went by thee, and hast fulfilled their desires:

My meat which I gave thee, as simnels, oil and honey to feed thee withal, that hast thou set before them, for a sweet savour. And this came also to pass, sayeth the LORD God.

that thou slayest my children, and givest them over to be burnt unto them?

And yet in all thy abominations and whoredom, thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth:, how naked and bare thou wast at that time, and trodden down in thine own blood.

Thou hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, thou hast laid out thy legs to every one that came by, and multiplied thine whoredom.

Building thy stews at the head of every street, and thy brothel houses in all places? Thou hast not been as another whore, that maketh boast of her winning;

but as a wife that breaketh wedlock, and taketh other instead of her husband.

It is come to pass with thee in thy whoredoms, contrary to the use of other women: yea, there hath no such fornication been committed after thee, seeing that thou profferest gifts unto other, and no regard is given thee. This is a contrary thing.

Behold therefore, I will gather together all thy lovers, unto whom thou hast made thy self common. Yea, and all them whom thou favourest, and euery one that thou hatest: and will uncover thy shame before them, that they all may see thy filthiness.

I will give thee over into their power, that shall break down thy stews, and destroy thy brothel houses: they shall strip thee out of thy clothes, all thy fair and beautiful Jewels shall they take from thee, and so let thee sit naked and bare.

They shall burn up thy houses, and punish thee in the sight of many women. Thus will I make thy whoredom to cease, so that thou shalt give out no more rewards.

"'Behold, all they that use common proverbs, shall use this proverb also against thee: 'Like mother, like daughter.'

Thou art even thy mother's own daughter, that hath cast off her husband and her children. Yea, thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsook their husbands and their children. Your mother is a Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

Thine eldest sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell upon thy left hand. But thy youngest sister that dwelleth on thy righthand, is Sodom and her daughters.

Behold, the sins of thy sister Sodom, were these: Pride, fullness of meat, abundance and Idleness: these things had she and her daughters. Besides that, they reached not their hand to the poor and needy,

Neither hath Samaria done half of thy sins. Yea, thou hast exceeded them in wickedness: Insomuch that in comparison of all the abominations which thou hast done, thou hast made thy sisters good women.

Therefore thou which didst condemn thy sister: bear thine own shame, for thine own offences that thou hast committed - more abominable than they did, which indeed are more righteous than thou art. Be thou, I say, ashamed; and bear thy shameful rebuke, seeing that thou has proven thy sisters in comparison of the righteous.

that thou mayest take thine own confusion upon thee, and be ashamed of all that thou hast done, and to comfort them.

and before thy wickedness came to light: thou wouldest not hear speak of thy sister Sodom, until the time that the Syrians with all their towns, and the Philistines, with all that lie round about them, brought thee to shame and confusion:

that thou mightest bear thine own filthiness and abomination, sayeth the LORD.

"'Nevertheless, I will remember the covenant that I made with thee in thy youth, insomuch that it shall be an everlasting covenant:

So that thou also remember thy ways, and be ashamed of them. Then shalt thou receive of me thy elder and younger sisters, whom I will make thy daughters: and that beside thy covenant.

And so I will renew my covenant with thee, that thou mayest know that I am the LORD: