The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Then crying out in my hearing in a loud voice, he said, Let the overseers of the town come near, every man armed.
1
Then I heard God shout, "Come here, you men who are going to punish the city. Bring your weapons with you."
2 And six men came from the way of the higher doorway looking to the north, every man with his axe in his hand: and one man among them was clothed in linen, with a writer's inkpot at his side. And they went in and took their places by the brass altar.
2
At once six men came from the outer north gate of the Temple, each one carrying a weapon. With them was a man dressed in linen clothes, carrying something to write with. They all came and stood by the bronze altar.
3 And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the winged ones on which it was resting, to the doorstep of the house. And crying out to the man clothed in linen who had the writer's inkpot at his side,
3
Then the dazzling light of the presence of the God of Israel rose up from the winged creatures where it had been, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. The Lord called to the man dressed in linen,
4 The Lord said to him, Go through the town, through the middle of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the brows of the men who are sorrowing and crying for all the disgusting things which are done in it.
4
"Go through the whole city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is distressed and troubled because of all the disgusting things being done in the city."
5 And to these he said in my hearing, Go through the town after him using your axes: do not let your eyes have mercy, and have no pity:
5
And I heard God say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill. Spare no one; have mercy on no one.
6 Give up to destruction old men and young men and virgins, little children and women: but do not come near any man who has the mark on him: and make a start at my holy place. So they made a start with the old men who were before the house.
6
Kill the old men, young men, young women, mothers, and children. But don't touch anyone who has the mark on his forehead. Start here at my Temple." So they began with the leaders who were standing there at the Temple.
7 And he said to them, Make the house unclean, make the open places full of dead: go forward and send destruction on the town.
7
God said to them, "Defile the Temple. Fill its courtyards with corpses. Get to work!" So they began to kill the people in the city.
8 Now while they were doing so, and I was untouched, I went down on my face, and crying out, I said, Ah, Lord! will you give all the rest of Israel to destruction in letting loose your wrath on Jerusalem?
8
While the killing was going on, I was there alone. I threw myself face downward on the ground and shouted, "Sovereign Lord, are you so angry with Jerusalem that you are going to kill everyone left in Israel?"
9 Then he said to me, The sin of the children of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is full of blood and the town full of evil ways: for they say, The Lord has gone away from the land, and the Lord does not see.
9
God answered, "The people of Israel and Judah are guilty of terrible sins. They have committed murder all over the land and have filled Jerusalem with crime. They say that I, the Lord, have abandoned their country and that I don't see them.
10 And as for me, my eye will not have mercy, and I will have no pity, but I will send the punishment of their ways on their heads.
10
But I will not have pity on them; I will do to them what they have done to others."
11 Then the man clothed in linen, who had the inkpot at his side, came back and said, I have done what you gave me orders to do.
11
Then the man wearing linen clothes returned and reported to the Lord, "I have carried out your orders."
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.