1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel. 3 Tell the land of Israel, ‘Yahweh says: "Behold, I am against you, and will draw my sword out of its 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 my sword will go out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north. 5 All flesh will know that I, Yahweh, have drawn my sword out of its sheath. It will not return any more."’
6 "Therefore sigh, you son of man. You shall sigh before their eyes with a broken heart and with bitterness. 7 It shall be, when they ask you, ‘Why do you sigh?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the news, for 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 comes, and it shall be done, says the Lord Yahweh.’"
8 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 9 "Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘Yahweh says:
"A sword! A sword!
It is sharpened,
and also polished.
10 It is sharpened that it may make a slaughter.
It is polished that it may be as lightning.
Should we then make mirth?
The rod of my son condemns every tree.
11 It is given to be polished,
that it may be handled.
The sword is sharpened.
Yes, it is polished
to give it into the hand of the killer."’
12 Cry and wail, son of man;
for it is on my people.
It is on all the princes of Israel.
They are delivered over to the sword with my people.
Therefore beat your thigh.
13 "For there is a trial. What if even the rod that condemns will be no more?" says the Lord Yahweh.
14 "You therefore, son of man, prophesy,
and strike your hands together.
Let the sword be doubled the third time,
the sword of the fatally wounded.
It is the sword of the great one who is fatally wounded,
which enters into their rooms.
15 I have set the threatening sword against all their gates,
that their heart may melt,
and their stumblings be multiplied.
Ah! It is made as lightning.
It is pointed for slaughter.
16 Gather yourselves together.
Go to the right.
Set yourselves in array.
Go to the left,
wherever your face is set.
17 I will also strike my hands together,
and I will cause my wrath to rest.
I, Yahweh, have spoken it."
18 Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying, 19 "Also, you son of man, appoint two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. They both will come out of one land, and mark out a place. Mark it out at the head of the way to the city. 20 You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified. 21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shook the arrows back and forth. He consulted the teraphim. He looked in the liver. 22 In his right hand was the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, and to build forts. 23 It will be to them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to memory, that they may be taken.
24 "Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because you have caused 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 memory, you will be taken with the hand.
25 "‘You, deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end, 26 the Lord Yahweh says: "Remove the turban, and take off the crown. This will not be as it was. Exalt that which is low, and humble that which is high. 27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. This also will be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it."’
28 "You, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says this concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach:
"A sword! A sword is drawn!
It is polished for the slaughter,
to cause it to devour,
that it may be as lightning;
29 while they see for you false visions,
while they divine lies to you,
to lay you on the necks of the wicked who are deadly wounded,
whose day has come in the time of the iniquity of the end.
30 Cause it to return into its sheath.
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your birth, I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my indignation on you.
I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath.
I will deliver you into the hand of brutish men,
skillful to destroy.
32 You will be for fuel to the fire.
Your blood will be in the middle of the land.
You will be remembered no more;
for I, Yahweh, have spoken it."’"
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:
2 Son of man, set thy face against Jerusalem, and drop [my word] upon the sanctuaries, and prophesy over the land of Israel,
3 and thou shalt say to the land of Israel, Thus hath the LORD said: Behold, I [am] against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked therefore shall my sword go forth out of its 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 its sheath; it shall not return any more.
6 Cry out therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of [thy] loins; and with bitterness cry out before their eyes.
7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Why criest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings that come; 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 unto me, saying,
9 Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus hath the LORD said: Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
10 it is sharpened to slay victims; it is furbished that it may glitter; should we then make mirth? it despises 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 upon my people; it [shall be] upon all the princes of Israel; fear of the sword shall be upon my people; therefore smite the thigh
13 because [it shall be] a trial. What shall be if it does not despise the rod? said the Lord GOD.
14 Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy and smite [thine] hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain; this is the sword of great slaughter that shall pierce them.
15 I have set the fear of the sword in all their gates, that [their] heart may faint and [their] ruins be multiplied; ah! [it is] made so that it might shine; [it is] prepared for the slaughter.
16 Go one way or other, [either] on the right hand [or] on the left, wherever thy face [is] set.
17 I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest; I the LORD have spoken.
18 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
19 Also, thou son of man, show two ways from where the sword of the king of Babylon comes: both shall come forth out of the same land and draw an army; at the head of the way to the city thou shalt do this.
20 Show the way that the sword will come to Rabbath of the Ammonites and to Judah against Jerusalem, the defenced.
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 The divination was to his right hand upon Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth for 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 unto them as a false divination in their sight, to those that have sworn oaths; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity that they may be taken.
24 Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, manifesting your betrayals and uncovering your sins in all your doings; for which ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
25 And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come in the time when the iniquity shall be brought to an end,
26 thus hath the Lord GOD said: Remove the diadem and take off the crown; it shall no longer be like this; I will exalt the one that is low and abase the one that is high.
27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it, and it shall be no [more] until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it [unto him].
28 And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword [is] drawn for the slaughter; [it is] furbished to consume with brightness:
29 They prophesy vanity unto thee; they divine a lie unto thee, to give thee over among the necks of the wicked who are sentenced to death, whose day is come in the time when the iniquity shall be brought to an end.
30 Shall I cause [it] to return into its sheath? I must judge thee in the place where thou wast raised, in the land of where thou hast lived.
31 And I will pour out my indignation upon thee; I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath and deliver thee into the hand of fearful men [who are] skilful to destroy.
32 Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt no [longer] be remembered: for I the LORD have spoken.: