New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then he cried in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, "Draw near, you executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand."
1
Then crying out in my hearing in a loud voice, he said, Let the overseers of the town come near, every man armed.
2 And six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand; among them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
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.
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. The Lord called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his side;
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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,
4 and said to him, "Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it."
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.
5 To the others he said in my hearing, "Pass through the city after him, and kill; your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity.
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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:
6 Cut down old men, young men and young women, little children and women, but touch no one who has the mark. And begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the house.
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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.
7 Then he said to them, "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go!" So they went out and killed in the city.
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And he said to them, Make the house unclean, make the open places full of dead: go forward and send destruction on the town.
8 While they were killing, and I was left alone, I fell prostrate on my face and cried out, "Ah Lord God! will you destroy all who remain of Israel as you pour out your wrath upon Jerusalem?"
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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?
9 He said to me, "The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city full of perversity; for they say, "The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.'
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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.
10 As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity, but I will bring down their deeds upon their heads."
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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.
11 Then the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his side, brought back word, saying, "I have done as you commanded me."
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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.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.