And behold, six men were coming from the way of the upper gate that faces north, and each had a battle-axe in his hand; and one man was among them, clothed with a long robe, and a belt of sapphire on his waist. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
And the glory of the God of Israel, which was upon the cherubim, went up from them to the open court of the house; and he called the man clothed with the long robe, who had the belt on his waist.
And he said to him, Go through the midst of Jerusalem and put the mark on the foreheads of the men who groan and are in anguish over all the lawless deeds that are done in her midst.
Old man and young man and virgin and infants and women, kill them to utter destruction; but do not come near any on whom the mark is. And begin from my holy things. And they began from the elder men who were inside in the house.
And it came to pass, while they were striking, that I fell on my face and cried out and said, Alas, Lord! Are you wiping out the remnant of Israel as you pour out your wrath upon Jerusalem?
And he said to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and of Judah has become exceedingly, exceedingly great, for the land has been filled with many peoples, and the city has been filled with iniquity and uncleanness; for they said, The Lord has forsaken the land, the Lord does not watch over it.