And he cried into my ears with a loud voice, saying, The vengeance of the city has drawn near, and each one had the instruments of destruction in his hand.
And behold, six men were coming from the way of the upper gate, that looks toward the north, and each had a battle axe in his hand, and one man in the midst of them, clothed with a robe reaching to the feet, and a sapphire sash on his waist; and they entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
And the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherubim that was upon them to the threshold of the house, and he called the man who was clothed with the long robe, who had the sash on his waist.
And he said to him, Go through the midst of Jerusalem and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who are groaning and who are being distressed over all the lawless deeds that are taking place in her midst.
Old man and young man and virgin and infants and women kill for extermination; but upon all on whom is the mark do not come near, and from my holy ones begin. And they began from the men, the elders who were inside in the house.
And it came to pass, while they were striking, that I fell upon my face and I cried out and said, Alas, O Lord, you are wiping out the remnant of Israel in your pouring out your wrath upon Jerusalem.
And he said to me: The iniquity of the house of Israel and of Judah has been greatly increased, exceedingly exceedingly, because the land has been filled with many peoples, and the city has been filled with iniquity and impurity, because they said, The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.