1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and drop your word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
3 And say to the land of Israel, Thus said the LORD; Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.
4 Seeing then that I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5 That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.
6 Sigh therefore, you son of man, with the breaking of your loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
7 And it shall be, when they say to you, Why sigh you? that you shall answer, For the tidings; because it comes: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it comes, and shall be brought to pass, said the Lord GOD.
8 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus said the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
10 It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it scorns the rod of my son, as every tree.
11 And he has given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be on my people, it shall be on all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be on my people: smite therefore on your thigh.
13 Because it is a trial, and what if the sword scorn even the rod? it shall be no more, said the Lord GOD.
14 You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite your hands together. and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which enters into their privy chambers.
15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.
16 Go you one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, wherever your face is set.
17 I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.
18 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,
19 Also, you son of man, appoint you two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both two shall come forth out of one land: and choose you a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.
20 Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defended.
21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
22 At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
23 And it shall be to them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
24 Therefore thus said the Lord GOD; Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that you are come to remembrance, you shall be taken with the hand.
25 And you, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
26 Thus said the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
28 And you, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus said the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say you, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
29 Whiles they see vanity to you, whiles they divine a lie to you, to bring you on the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.
30 Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land of your nativity.
31 And I will pour out my indignation on you, I will blow against you in the fire of my wrath, and deliver you into the hand of brutish men, and skillful to destroy.
32 You shall be for fuel to the fire; your blood shall be in the middle of the land; you shall be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.
1 And the Word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, drop a word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
4 Because I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north,
5 that all flesh may know that I, Jehovah, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.
6 Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and groan with bitterness before their eyes.
7 And it shall be when they say to you, Why are you sighing? that you shall answer, Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass, declares the Lord Jehovah.
8 Again the Word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
9 Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says Jehovah! Say: A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished!
10 It is sharpened to slaughter and butcher, polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, as every tree.
11 And He has given it to be polished, that it may be handled; this sword is sharpened, and it is polished to be given into the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry and howl, son of man; for it will be against My people, against all the rulers of Israel. The sword will be thrown against My people; therefore slap your thigh,
13 because it is a testing. And what if the sword despises even the scepter? It shall be no more, declares the Lord Jehovah.
14 You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and strike hand to hand; strike. The third time let the sword be doubled. It is the sword that slays, the sword that slays the great men, that surrounds them.
15 I have set the slaughter of the sword against all their gates, That the heart may melt and many may stumble. Ah! It is made bright; it is grasped for the slaughter:
16 Be sharp to the right! Set yourself to the left; wherever your face is appointed!
17 I also will strike My hand to hand, and I will cause My fury to rest; I, Jehovah, have spoken.
18 The Word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying:
19 And you, son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them shall come forth from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city.
20 Appoint a road for the sword to go into Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.
21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the head of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver.
22 In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a mound, and to build a siege wall.
23 And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
24 Therefore thus says the Lord Jehovah: Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear; because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken with the hand.
25 Now to you, O slain, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end,
26 thus says the Lord Jehovah: Remove the turban, and take off the crown; nothing shall remain as it was. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
27 Ruin, ruin! I will ruin it! It shall be no more, until He comes whose right it is. And I will give it to Him.
28 And you, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord Jehovah concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; and say, A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for slaughter, for consuming, for flashing;
29 while they see false visions for you, while they divine a lie to you, to bring you upon the necks of the slain, the wicked whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end.
30 Return it to its sheath. I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land of your birth.
31 And I will pour out My indignation upon you; I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath, and deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skilled in destruction.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall not be remembered, for I, Jehovah, have spoken.