Ezekiel Chapter 9
Showing all 11 verses for Ezekiel Chapter 9.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. "
"Then he cried out loudly in my hearing, 'Bring near those appointed to punish the city, each one with his weapon of destruction in his hand.'"
Seeing a problem clearly is only the first step — I want you to also be willing to act on what you've genuinely understood, rather than stopping at recognition alone. Insight that never leads to action rarely changes anything.
"And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. "
"And there they were — six men coming from the direction of the upper gate that faces north, each one carrying a weapon for killing, and among them was one man dressed in linen with a scribe's writing kit at his side; they came in and stood beside the bronze altar."
Even amid serious consequences, I always make room for careful attention to who deserves what — I never lump everyone together indiscriminately. That same care applies to how I see you: as a specific, distinct person, never as part of an anonymous crowd.
"And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; "
"The glory of the God of Israel had risen up from the cherub it had been resting on, moving to the threshold of the temple; and he called out to the man dressed in linen who had the scribe's writing kit at his side."
I don't abandon a place or a person suddenly, without warning or process — even in this vision, the departure happens step by step, visibly, over time. If you ever sense distance growing somewhere in your life, take that as an invitation to address it honestly before it becomes total.
"And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. "
"The LORD said to him, 'Go through the middle of the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of everyone who genuinely grieves and is distressed over all the disgusting things happening in it.'"
I notice and value people who stay troubled by injustice rather than becoming numb to it, even when they can't personally fix it — if you find yourself genuinely grieved by what's wrong in the world around you rather than indifferent, that sensitivity itself is precious to me, not a weakness to shrug off.
"And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: "
"To the others he said, in my hearing, 'Follow him through the city and strike people down — don't hold back, don't show pity.'"
I want you to understand that real consequences and real mercy can exist together in the same moment — one doesn't cancel out the other. Don't assume that because hard things are happening around you, care and distinction have been abandoned entirely.
"Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. "
"'Kill without mercy — old people, young people, unmarried women, children, and women — but don't go near anyone who has the mark. Start at my sanctuary.' So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple."
I hold the people closest to trusted positions — leadership, teaching, influence — to real accountability, not less accountability. If you carry any kind of trust or influence over others, expect that responsibility to be taken seriously, and take it seriously yourself first.
"And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. "
"He said to them, 'Defile the house, fill the courtyards with the dead — go out and do it.' So they went out and killed throughout the city."
Consequences eventually tend to make visible what was already true beneath the surface — I'd rather you deal honestly with what's actually happening in your life now than wait for circumstances to eventually expose it for you, often in a harder way than honest self-examination would have been.
"And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? "
"While they were carrying out the killing, and I was the one left standing, I fell face-down and cried out, 'Oh, Lord GOD! Are you going to destroy every remaining survivor of Israel as you pour out your fury on Jerusalem?'"
You can hold both honesty about hard truths and genuine compassion for the people affected by them at the same time — I don't want you choosing between being truthful and being tender-hearted. The most faithful response often includes both, exactly like this cry does.
"Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not. "
"He said to me, 'The wrongdoing of Israel and Judah is extremely great — the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of injustice; because they keep saying, "The LORD has abandoned the earth; the LORD doesn't see."'"
I don't ask you to pretend a serious situation is smaller than it is just to make the conversation more comfortable — real compassion sometimes means being honest about how bad something has actually become, even while still caring deeply about the people caught up in it.
"And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. "
"As for me, I won't hold back, I won't show pity — I will bring their own conduct back down on their own heads."
I want you to understand that the outcomes of your choices really do belong to you — not as a threat, but as genuine respect for your ability to choose differently. Owning your own conduct, rather than blaming everyone else for your results, is where real freedom and change actually begin.
"And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. "
"Then the man dressed in linen, who had the writing kit at his side, reported back: 'I have done exactly as you commanded me.'"
Faithfully completing the quiet, protective work you've been given matters just as much as any more dramatic action — I notice and value the steady, careful follow-through, not only the visible, dramatic moments. Simply doing what you were asked, honestly and completely, is itself worth something.